So to sum up Zeffirelli uses soft music with a person simply reading the prologue while the camera using a soft focus pans over the city which gives the impression that Verona is a beautiful, peaceful and safe place.
Now I will be talking about how Luhrmann introduces the play using the prologue. Baz Luhrmann’s version of the prologue is done in much more detail and is emphasised a huge amount more. Luhrmann tries to grab the attention of the audience with very fast moving screen shots and very lively music.
The first shot that comes up on the screen is of a TV with a blank screen, and the distance between the camera and the TV is very far, making the TV look very small in the distance. The first sound is the fuzziness of a TV, and then on the screen of the TV, the opening credits are displayed on white tiles with a black background. The contrast between the colours gives a very sharp effect. This gives a very different first effect on the audience compared to Zefirelli’s opening shot. Luhrmann’s first shot of the bold white tiles with a black background, gets the audience’s attention straight away. After the credits, a female newsreader appears on the TV screen, and she reads aloud the prologue. She says the prologue like reading aloud a news report rather than in a poetic sonnet way. This makes the prologue subtle and it makes the audience think twice before realising that it is the prologue that she is saying. The subtle speaking of the prologue differs with Zefirelli’s make of the prologue being obvious to opening up the film. Beside the newsreader in the background, there is a small picture with some text underneath it. As the camera is in the far distance, it makes it hard to see what the picture and text is which makes the audience wonder what it is. While the newsreader is saying the prologue, the camera subtly zooms in directly towards the screen, and the picture in the corner gradually comes into focus. The picture is of a broken ring with the text underneath it saying ‘Star cross’d lovers’. The symbolism of the broken ring is that the lovers end up being torn away from each other. After the newsreader says the twelfth line of the prologue, the camera suddenly picks up speeds and zooms right into the TV screen, through a high street. At the same time the words, ‘Fair Verona’ constantly flashes up in white with a black background. From the zooming, it has merged from one background into another. This sudden pick up of speed would as if wake up the audience and shocking them as the screen had suddenly gone from one shot to another. This is very unlike Zefirelli’s presentation of the prologue, as he keeps his prologue simple and calm all the way through, whereas Luhrmann uses the effect of zooming and flashing words up creating a dramatic scene. The reason of flashing the words, ‘Fair Verona’ while the camera rushes down the high street, is to make the audience understand the comparison and realise exactly how ‘fair’ Verona really is in his version of the film. It shows a decaying urban landscape contradicting ‘fair Verona’. The font style of the writing is bold like Arial, and is in block capitals, making it clear to the audience what it says. In Zefirelli’s, as the camera pans over the city, you can see that Verona is very pretty and fair, as the prologue says it is.
As the camera reaches the end of the street, the camera is suddenly focused on the face of a statue, which was far in the distance from where the zooming into the street began. Very dramatic music starts to be played loudly, which produces a bigger effect on grabbing the audience’s attention. The camera then pulls back to view the tops of two corporate buildings with the statue in the middle. The buildings have big signs on the top of them. They are the names of the two households, Capulet and Montague. They are in different colours, Capulet in red and Montague in blue. The differences in the colours emphasise the difference between the two. The effect of having the statue splitting the two buildings up is to make the point clear, that the two households need something or someone to keep them apart to avoid causing major trouble in the city, as they absolutely despise each other. The statue shown actually represents Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is trying to control the families and bringing some peace to the city. In Zefirelli’s version, the point that the two families cannot stand each other is not emphasised. As the prologue is said in the same tone and way all the way through and the pictures are just of how fair Verona is, does not give a definite and clear point that the two households are major enemies. Luhrmann makes it visual to the audience, the hate between the two families.
The next part of the introduction to Luhrmann’s production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, is of a rapid chain of clips from one to the other including clips of police cars with ‘VBPD’ on the side of them standing for ‘Verona Beach Police Department’. This is shown to tell the audience that this is ‘Verona Beach’ and not fair ‘Verona’. The chain of clips also includes clips of helicopters, clips of the disaster from different viewpoints, some far up in the sky, some close up to casualties who were injured, and the damage done to the city by this one disaster brought up because of the hate between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s. The disaster is emphasised in this rapid succession of clips, to stress how much damage can be caused by one incident done by the two families. It also makes the audience think and imagine if this one incident caused so much damage, the amount of damage that they probably had done to the city in the past and what would be done in the future.
The prologue is said once again while another variety of images using other media of newspaper articles and magazine covers appear. This time, the prologue is said by a character that is actually in the play, referring to how the prologue is traditionally said by the chorus. The character who speaks the prologue is Friar Lawrence, and he says it in a poetic way, and this time the rhythm of a sonnet is emphasised. A man with a soft, gentle and low voice speaks the prologue like it is in Zefirelli’s production. This is one similarity that the two productions have. As he speaks, some words of the prologue is emphasised by magazine headlines appearing, using the effect of spinning one on top of the other. The headlines include ‘New Mutiny’ and ‘Civil Blood Makes Civil Hands Unclean’. These headlines are to tell the audience and remind them the symbolism and reasoning behind each word in the prologue. There is also a faint background of burning flames when these headlines appearing as if showing the damage done. The images however, some are of like modern day newspapers and magazines. The camera slowly pans through a rack of different covers and the headline of each newspaper and magazine are all referring to the feud caused between the two households, emphasising that they produce big issues in the city. Other images in this group of images include police taking charge of the situation in a live kind of view, showing how fast the police and other services had to respond to reduce the risk of more damage happening. The police and fire departments had to work into the night with the clearing up of the situation. This is known as the images are taken from broad daylight into the dark night. These images give the audience a visual understanding of how bad it is of the two households hating each other, which can cause so many innocent people in the city to be harmed.
As the speaking of the prologue comes to an end, with the two lines ‘A pair of star cross’d lovers, take their life’ with the lines shown in white writing on a black background. This effect by now would be recognised by the audience by now as it had been used before to state the words ‘Fair Verona’. This effect of repeating jogs the audience’s memories reminding them again and again the importance of the lines in the prologue. As the prologue stops being spoken, the same dramatic music becomes loud again. Each of the main characters are shown one by one with a pause on each with the text describing who each of the characters are and how they are either related to Romeo or Juliet or what the purpose of the character is in the film. Luhrmann’s presentation of the prologue is very different to that of Zeffirelli’s as he uses load music repeats the prologue and does not create a feeling of peace but make Verona beach seem like a dangerous, violent urban area. In these ways both directors present the prologue in very different ways.
Now that I have compared both prologues I will talk about how the directors have shown the first brawl between the families and then the meeting between Romeo and Benvolio.
As soon as the Zefirelli prologue has finished, it goes straight to scene one, which is later in the day, at the market. The Capulet’s are shown walking and talking. They are wearing red and yellow colour coded costumes with codpieces. The Montague’s are wearing darker colours, dark blue and black. Baz Luhrmann’s characters are the opposite. The first group you see in ‘Romeo + Juliet’ are the Montague’s, who are wearing bright Hawaiian shirts in a yellow car. When the Capulet’s enter the scene, they are the ones wearing dark clothes in a blue car. The Capulet’s seem to be better dressed, making them seem superior and wealthier than the Montague’s. In Franco Zefirelli’s film, the Capulet’s (in bright colours) are talking and they are the ones who bite their thumbs at the Montague’s, which provokes the fight. In
Luhrmann’s film, it’s the Montague’s in the bright clothing that bite their thumb at the Capulet’s, but it is still the Capulet’s who provoke the fight. Tybalt seems to be the ‘bad guy’ in each of the films, but especially Luhrmann’s. In Luhrmann’s film he wears dark clothes, carries two guns, and wears religious waistcoats (picture of Jesus on it) and his boots have steel heels. When Tybalt steps out of the car in the petrol station, the music changes from rock to a Western theme. This music relates the scene to a Western face-off. So at first we can see that in Zeffirelli’s version it is set in a noisy market place and that the capulet’s are wearing colourful clothing like yellow and red and orange where as the Montague’s are in a calmer blue colour. Then we can see that the capulet’s start the fight by biting their thumb which is different to Luhrmann’s film where the colours are switched and the Montague’s are rather loud and immature people and the Capulet’s are dressed in blue and are more serious and again the role of the people who start the fight are different as the Montague’s start the fight this time. As mentioned before another main difference is that the fight is started in a petrol station unlike the market in Zeffirelli’s version.
In the first scene Act1 scene1 of Zefirelli’s takes place in a court yard which has cobbled flooring and large brick walls surrounding it giving the feeling to an audience that it is a small town perhaps even village like image and that this would have been an average day for the people of Verona. It is in the morning going from quiet which is then followed immediately by a cacophony of noise of a busy market day crowed with people in full bright sun shining this is to show to the audience what a typical market day would be like. As if nothing unusual is going to happen.
The camera moves towards a few men walking through the market. He made them out to be rich and dignified and distinguished people until they open they begin to speak. The audience automatically know they are important as they are wearing a traditional outfit made with red and yellow material of frills and tights which is bright to show they are the Capulet family this type of clothing fits it with the idea that their jokes are cruel but make them look like jesters. This against the other people stands out as everyone else has dull, bland and ordinary colours clothes (for that period in time has) such as cream and brown shades. This is done on purpose so that they aren’t taken notice to by people watching as not to distract them from the important characters. We also see men going around in stripes but two shades of blue who are also important as they are the Montague family. This is also on purpose to define and separate the characters just by sight. Even though this is done we can see that the towns people are crowded in around them and the audience can observe there reactions to see (if they don’t understand what is happening) what the Shakespearean words are supposed to be telling the audience).This helps when the Capulet’s start to talk about the Montague’s. As they discuss this one of the puts his foot out and trips a Montague up showing the humorous side to the characters. The music that plays in the background doesn’t give the impression very well that this is such a serious part even though the fact if they didn’t brawl the Romeo and Juliet would be able to live happily ever after. When he bites his thumb and starts the brawl off this fight seems less intense the Luhrmann’s even though one of the characters fighting gets the sword in his eye. We then see the large brawl where all the Montague’s and Capulet’s get involved and to end it the prince come in on a horse. The camera looks up at him to show his authority and there are trumpets to signal his entrance which shows how powerful he is. He then leaves with a warning to both families and exits in the same manner o his horse with the trumpets sounging.
At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 1 in Luhrmann’s version the title is shown with the words ‘Romeo + Juliet’ this draws attention that it is a cross another way of writing ‘and’ but a religious symbol at the same time. Next this scrolls to the left placing the picture of three males in a yellow car (in resemblance to the clothing in Zeffirelli’s). They are wearing Hawaiian shirts this is to define the Montague’s as well as showing they are laid back type of people who like to have fun. One of them also has the word Montague tattooed on the back of his shaved head with a symbol of three hexagons in a pyramid as a corporate business symbol of who they are as well as having piercing and other tattoos. Then frame freezes and they are also given a title. This is brought together with the next shot of a building with the words of a sign reading ‘Montague construction Retail’d to Posterity’ this is meant to be old Shakespearean writing on a new type of media advertisement of the corporate company.
This is followed buy them pulling up to a gas station much like in the original script. Many detailed touches are added such as the personalised number plates for example ‘Mon 005’ possibly connection in peoples minds to James Bond 007 because of what happen in those genre type films. One of the Montague boys also licks his nipple in front of van full of women from a Nuns College showing that they feel like they can do what they want without being bothered about the consequences. They begin to talk of Capulet’s when they pull up at the other side behind the Montague’s in the shot. We see a low to the ground shot of someone getting out at the same time western type of music begins to play helping the audience to remember old western movies which had gun slingers in it. Tybalt gets out drops a cigarette to it out emphasising his cowboy shoes hinting that cowboys like to fight. We next see Abra (shortened from Abraham) wearing a suede tan top with a leather jacket and black trousers and boots, a suave like Latino. This is about the same as what the rest of the Capulet’s are wearing as well as a large cross around his neck symbolising their religion.
Then he bears his teeth with the word sin engraved in silver cap across his teeth making the Montague’s jump so the capulet’s laugh at them showing they are just fooling around with them at this point. Capulet gets in car to leave. To show that the Capulet’s think they are better than them, instead of getting straight out of the car he reverses it, spins it round then gets out this is used to show the way in which they try to intimidate the Montague’s. One way that Luhrmann updated the film was to use guns instead of swords. He works round this by taking a shot of Benvolio coming out of a door puts his gun in the air which is a ‘Sword 9mm’ and zooms in on the brand and freezes the frame. This highlights it so the audience reads it. To emphasize the tension in the air it goes quiet for a few seconds. When Tybalt walks out of the shop he lights a cigar and drops it to the floor. The camera then follows this down to his feet where we are shown the back of his boots. This attention to detail is added as his boots have a cat on each with fangs rather than teeth as he is given the title ‘The Prince of Cats’. As this happens the western type music starts up again Tybalt opens his jacket as he says ‘Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death’ he on purposely opens his jacket which his top has a religious picture on it point out its importance as well as the camera zooming in on his gun. The next use of camera work to show tension of the characters faces are when in close up to Tybalt’s eyes then cuts straight to Benvolio’s. Then the fight between these families takes place in the petrol station with the camera speeding some moments up to make them humorous and then are bullets flying and petrol is spilt everywhere. The Montague’s run away and just as Tybalt goes to light a match Benvolio covered in petrol runs away and Tybalt light s the station and then the prince comes in. The prince comes in on a helicopter with loud music in the background while the prince speaks through a megaphone to tell Benvolio and Tybalt to drop their weapons as they look up at him in a helicopter. The families are then given a warning by the prince in an office which is modern and can be related to a headmaster’s office at a school.
In the Baz Luhrmann version the Prince is portrayed as a Police Chief. He is seen in a helicopter above Benvolio and Tybalt, forcing them to put their weapons to the ground. The Prince is using lots of high tech machinery and guns to make them drop their guns; this helps to state how important he is as a figure of power and authority and emphasises his position as the head of the police department.
This is important because in his position he has ultimate control of right and wrong. The Montague family look quite shocked that their sons have started another fight. It seems like they want to go and sort it out and make sure that there is nothing said about their household. The Capulet’s react in the same way, by wanting to sort it out. The head of the Montague’s even reaches for his gun in order to sort it out. When the two families are being talked to by the Prince they both seem to be trying to blame the other household. Clearly neither household likes to get in serious trouble and therefore blames the other household out of spite. In the Franco Zeffirelli version the Prince is represented by the Prince of the City. You see him enter onto the screen, riding a horse. At the time the film was set it would have been a sign of royalty to own a horse. The prince has several bodyguards around him suggesting that he is a very powerful person in the city.
He doesn’t speak very forcefully, but just relies on his position in the city to make them listen. This tells the viewer that he is very full of himself (by just expecting them to listen). In this version both the leaders of the two sides start fighting.
This shows the viewer how proud they both are of their household and also the lack of patience they have towards each other. I think that the Baz Luhrmann version represents the Prince best because he sounds very forceful, and in the text his speech suggests that he is a very harsh type of character “That quench the fire of your pernicious rage, with purple fountains issuing from your veins: On pain of torture, from those bloody hands, throw your mistempered weapons to the ground.” This shows that the police officer (Prince) is not afraid to use force. He uses strong and forceful language to put fear into Benvolio and Tybalt and uses his position in the city to make them drop their guns.
Now I will be talking about the scene where Romeo is confronted by Benvolio and compare both version and give a conclusion of both films referring to the opening scenes.
In the Baz Luhrmann version Romeo is quite an innocent character. He is dressed in smart but casual clothes, which signifies his attitude to life. His introduction suggests that he is friendly due to the slow, soft music playing in the background. The viewer then sees a picture of him sitting by the sea and creating poems. Here he is ringed by an abandoned stage with the sun shining through it and creates a picture of a non violent calm Romeo. This helps to emphasize his non-violent nature. This is important because it is important to make Romeo look as innocent and un-harmful as possible. This links with the way he acts and how he reacts to seeing Benvolio on the television holding his gun. Romeos demeanour tells us that he is the kind of person that has no troubles in the world. He is an easygoing sort of person who likes relaxing. He has a very good personality and seems to like being alone. He is the kind of person that everyone is friends with. His relationship with Benvolio is quite strong as they are cousins “good morrow, cousin”. You can clearly see that Romeo is not happy with all the fights Benvolio gets involved in “o me! What fray was here?”. In the Franco Zeffirelli version Romeo is again quite an innocent character. He is wearing quite tatty clothes and is holding a flower , which signifies his good nature. The way in which he enters the film gives the viewer the impression that he is feeling depressed. His demeanour is that he is a person with little on his mind. His relationship with Benvolio is not as strong as it could be. Again he is ringed by an arch which gives a similar effect on what kind of a person he is.
I think that this is because he doesn’t like violence and therefore tries to limit his time with Benvolio. This shaky relationship could be the explanation for why Romeo was out in the woods all morning. I think that the Franco Zeffirelli is the best at representing Romeo as a character. This is because he makes him much more innocent and seem more lonely than in the Baz Luhrmann version. When I read the text I could picture a boy in my mind and in my view Franco Zeffirelli represented that character very well.
I personally enjoyed the Luhrmann version as it was quick, had music to help aid the atmosphere of the situations and provided a modern day look of the story of “Romeo and Juliet.” I think the Zeffirelli version was slower did not have a lot of music but was more concise to how Shakespeare wrote the play. I think both were right in how they presented it as they were aimed at different audiences, Luhrmann aimed at teenagers and Zeffirelli at adults and Zeffirelli aimed for it to be more like how Shakespeare intended it to be shown where as Luhrmann show a fast modern day outlook on the play which I thought was very effective.