Freeze-frames introduce the main characters soap-opera style in the opening sequence, which show us who’s going to be important in the story. Luhrmann has decided that this is a more effective way of introducing the characters rather than gradually through the dialogue, as it will take the strain from the audience for trying to learn the characters’ names and roles from the Shakespearean language used in the script. The characters are dressed wealthily which also gives a clue towards their high status. A frantic orchestral melody is used as background music to help create a tense atmosphere for the audience, and a powerful, booming voice summarizes again the situation of Romeo and Juliet. This focuses on the tragic side of this love story, rather than the romantic.
In the next scene, the tension is suddenly broken as we are shown a cheerful medium shot of the Montague boys. We know automatically who they are automatically from the visual clues that are left, for example, the “Montague” tattoo on the back of one of the character’s heads, and the close-ups on the car‘s “MON 005” number plate which states clearly who they are. A medium shot is used to display the Montagues’ brightly-coloured Hawaiian-style shirts, and their car which is also a cheery yellow. These colours reflect the Montagues’ playful, childish and fun-loving nature. During the scene, non-diegetic hip-hop music compliments their wild behaviour to justify their joyful attitude and their tendency to be loud and outgoing. Also, it is an unexpected contrast to their immense skyscraper that would lead us to believe that they may be high-classed businessmen rather than carefree youths.
Now, the Montague boys arrive at a petrol station. We see the Capulets’ vehicle also pull in nearby, the engine revving which gives a sense of the Capulets’ violent nature. We hear a short guitar melody, which mimics the music in a lot of traditional Western films, and this gives us a feel for the family’s sly and sinister nature. A close-up shot of a Capulet’s metal-heeled shoes, which also link to the Western genre, emerging from the car and extinguishing a cigarette further increases their sense of anonymity and potential danger.
We see that the way the Capulets are dressed contrasts greatly with the Montagues’ attire - instead of casual, brightly-coloured clothing, they are wearing classier, more formal garments, in darker colours such as blues and blacks with an abundance of religious references. This allows the two families to be easily visually distinguished from one another, and also indicates their differences which might be another reason for their conflict. It shows that they are more serious and ominous than the light-hearted Montagues.
When the Montagues discover the Capulets’ presence, they begin to panic. A Capulet, Abra, intimidates them by flashing his metal teeth at them, which has the word “SIN” engraved on them, and hisses ferociously - perhaps being compared to an animal like a snake, which is also sly and sinister. This shows us that he feels that he’s a ‘bad boy’, and is shown as an extreme close-up to make it more intense. The Montagues begin to mock him afterwards, but Abra spots this in the side-mirror of his car and consequentially, is further enraged. The camera closes up on the petrol station’s sign swinging in the breeze, which reads “Add more fuel to your fire” - this is a metaphor which implies further provoking someone in a feud or bad situation - and silence ensues, which suggests the ‘calm before the storm’, building a suspenseful atmosphere. It is also exactly what happens later on in the scene.
Then Tybalt, a Capulet, returns to find the Montagues. He lights a cigarette, which shows his tendency towards being a daredevil and his fearlessness, disregarding the danger of igniting anything in a petrol station. He questions the Montagues, being mocking in his polite manner, and then raising his voice to shout. He and Benvolio then face each other, and reveal the butts of their guns, which have their family emblems inscribed on them. The emblems themselves show that again their families are both equal in status and so have similar weapons. Tybalt has two guns, which suggests his violent attitude, and also sport images of Christ.
In the next scene, the tension erupts into a full-blown brawl, with Tybalt in particular showing off his moves, being more inclined to violence than the Montagues, and it also shows that he is initiating the fight. A low-key non-diegetic bass melody in this scene builds tension and suspense, a sense of dread and the feeling that something worse is brewing just under the surface of this heated situation. Luhrmann adds diegetic sounds such as Tybalt’s swift spinning motions making a whirlwind sound, which shows his skilful precision at movement, but at the same time sounds like a cat’s growl (Tybalt is introduced as the “Prince of Cats” in a freeze frame earlier in the scene).
Finally, the bass background music surmounts to a crescendo, and the Montagues escape the Capulets, and we see Benvolio fleeing past a heavy traffic jam outside the petrol station as Tybalt shoots at him. It is a medium long shot of the street and shows that in their disagreements, the two families are causing chaos in the city and preventing people from living their everyday lives - in this example blocking the roads for the publics’ fear of flying bullets. Tybalt drops his cigarette on the petrol-soaked ground in the station and thus it ignites and a tumult of fire erupts - the connotations behind the sheet of flames suggests burning rage, and that this conflict will unfold into something more extreme later on.
