What techniques does Baz Luhrman the director of the 1997 film "Romeo And Juliet" use to make the opening scene effective

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What techniques does Baz Luhrman  the director of  the 1997 film “Romeo And Juliet” use to make the opening scene effective ?

Baz Luhrman’s 1997 version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, was modernised and aimed at a young modern day audience. Luhrman has followed in the footsteps  of Franco Zeffirelli, who made this movie in 1968. The 1968 version of  Romeo and Juliet  had won four Oscars. Luhrman used the original language of Shakespeare just like Zeffirelli but, made it modern he used a fictional city called, Verona Beach mirroring Los Angeles. He used infamous actors Claire Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio, therefore they weren’t associated with other roles. Luhrman used modern music to make it more contempary, and to attract the audience. Luhrman  used a black TV presenter to show it’s modern day.

Luhrman's use of fire is very effective especially, to support the raging families at war. At the beginning of the movie when the family tree is burnt, this shows both families losing Romeo and Juliet, as a result of this both families are falling apart . The fire also shows the hatred between the two families. When the petrol station is on fire there's a poster burning which says  “The 2nd brawl breaks between....” this shows that there is a lot of vendetta between the families.

     Luhrman's use of religion is to support the ancient grudge between the two families. At the very start of the movie there are two skyscrapers, one which belongs to  the Capulets and the other to the Montague.  In between the two skyscrapers there is a statue of Jesus. This shows the ancient grudge the families have had and the Holy war, therefore the statue of Jesus keeps the families away from each other to keep the peace.

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Another use of religion used by Luhrman is to show that  the Capulet boys and the Montague boys are both religious. At the petrol station, when the brawl between  the Montagues and Capulet boys  is starting. We see one of the Capulet boys wearing a religious T-shirt, which has a picture of Jesus on it. Also the Capulet boys have a cross shaved on the back of their heads . This shows that both Capulet and Montague boys are religious.

Luhrman uses a variety of techniques. One of them is the role of media, he uses this very effectively. ...

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