Comparison of the two films of Romeo and Juliet

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Comparison of the two films of Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was made into a film by two different directors. Baz Luhrmann’s to Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet were very distinct and they both appeal to different age group audiences. Franco Zeffirelli’s version was the first film of Romeo and Juliet. It was produced in 1968 and it was quiet typical, exactly what the audience would have expected the film of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be. Unlike Baz Luhrmann’s version, which was very modern and appealed to a younger audience.

Baz Luhrmann’s and Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet are perfect examples of the very different perspectives you can have of the stunning play.

The masked ball scene is one of the most challenging scenes to recreate. Because Shakespeare doesn’t tell us what the characters wear, what the Capulet mansion looks like and what the face expressions are like when the lovers first set eyes on each other, it offers great flexibility. Which is why the masked ball scene is very different in each film that was produced.

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In both films the costumes the actors wore reflected the characteristics of their roles. In Franco Zeffirelli’s, Juliet wore a red dress which symbolises love and in Baz Luhrmann’s version Juliet wore a white angel costume which shows purity and innocence. Romeo wore a blue/navy costume with a tiger mask in Franco’s version, which was quite different to what Romeo wore in Baz Luhrmann’s. He was dressed as a knight which associates with romance and symbolises protection.    

Not only did the costumes reflect the personalities of the characters, but it also set a certain image ...

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