Analysis of Baz Luhrmann's romeo and juliet

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GCSE Media Coursework

Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a modern reconstruction based on the original play. The setting and dress were the only things that were changed and the dialogue was preserved in its original state even though it went through a bit of editing, therefore this movie serves as an excellent resource for anyone who doesn’t understand the Shakespearean way of speaking.  It tells the story of  “Two households both alike in dignity in fair Verona where we lay are scene”. These two warring households are the Capulets and the Montagues and they fight all the time. What Baz Luhrmann has done is modernise the play by making it a film and adding modern technology such as guns and newspapers, as well as a petrol station into the set.

I will be analysing scene one where the Capulets and Montagues first meet in the film.  The scene is set in a petrol station, which represents the town square in Shakespeare’s original play. Three Montague boys pull up in a car in the petrol station and one of them, Benvolio goes to the toilet while the other two see a van filled with girls from a Ladies College and make some rude gestures at it as it pulls away. Then as the van pulls away the Montague boys see four Capulet boys. Subsequently an argument breaks out between the two sets of boys and a shootout starts. This shootout escalates into the streets and it becomes a “third civil brawl”.  This scene is very important because it sets the tone for the rest of the play.  People who do not understand the Shakespearean language can understand wants going on through the violence, love and action throughout the play.  The western music, screeching car tyres and the newspaper headlines all add to the variety of different genres featured in the play. The rivalry and violence is extremely prominent in the first scene.  Within the first two minutes Baz Luhrmann shows their rivalry by showing the audience a street with two Skyscrapers still in the construction process on either side of it but with the two families’ names, on one each. This shows that both families work in the same market. Violence in the first scene is made very clear due to the fact that it includes pictures and references to do with guns and violence in at least 50% of the 170 camera shots.

There are several different types of techniques used by directors in films and some of them include; camera shots, editing, setting, genre, sound/music, Costumes and mise-en-scene.

There are a variety of camera shots open to a camera operator in this scene that could include; Extreme close-ups, Medium shots and Extreme long shots. The chosen camera shots contribute to the impact that the scene has on the audience.

A low angle shot is taken of Abra in the first scene and allows Abra to give a strong and fearsome impression on the audience and show that he is a mean and “bad” character. The audience will get this effect due to the fact that Abra makes them feel small by looking down on them.  

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A high angle shot gives a character a more timid look that makes them look small and less intimidating an example of this is when a Capulet boy retreats back into his seat after Abra showing his mouth brace with the word ‘sin’ on it. The camera shot allows the audience to feel imposing on the character because they are looking down on them.

An example of a close- up shot is when the camera zooms on Tybalt’s face as well as the presenter’s and Benvolio’s face. When the camera zooms up on something like this it helps ...

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