how Baz Luhrmann makes Shakespeare appealing to a young, modern audience

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Write a magazine article for a film magazine commenting on how Baz Luhrmann makes Shakespeare appealing to a young, modern audience. Make specific reference to the opening sequence.

This brilliant remake is simply Shakespeare’s classic with a bit of a face lift. Baz Luhrmann’s flamboyant direction pumps new life into his 20th century adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

This modernised film takes you twisting and turning into a roller-coaster ride of love, lies and tragedy. Telling the story in a completely different way; using drugs, sporty cars and coca cola adds to give it that punch that all young people can relate to. While still staying true to the original script, all the scenes appear on a back drop of a fantasised, modern day world in Verona beach. Luhrmann also uses youthful up coming new actors and actresses (Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes), the cherry on the cake.

We are thrown back in our seats, by the upbeat, hip hop style music, rendering the feel of enthusiasm and excitement. It’s mind blowing.

The film opens with a newsreader reading the prologue, describing the results of the feud between two families, the Montagues and the Capulets’. In the build up it uses powerful imagery to create tension using fire, flashing scenes bold headlines and the conflict of power. The newsreader represents the chorus and while the background is very dark she is wearing a red jacket, making her stand out. It is shown as a 60 second news report, freezing the screen to introduce the characters with cartoon like labels. This is followed by the dramatic explosion of a petrol station, opposed to the original film where they fight in Verona‘s market square.

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The Montague boys, including Romeo, decide to invade the Capulets’ costume party and we witness the colourful decadence of this party through the eyes of an ecstasy influenced Romeo and it is this party at which the two lovers meet for the first time. The famous ‘balcony scene’ takes place on Juliet’s balcony, but ends up with the lovers kissing in a swimming pool, the cool blue lights on the water creating a gorgeous romantic effect.


The film is set in the not too distant future at Verona Beach in Los Angeles. This is the setting where both ...

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