After this there is are a series of very brief flashes of various parts in the film. If watched closely you would get a significant idea of what was to happen yet when first watching they are not particularly noticed. This quick preview creates an exciting and fast-moving feel.
This is when the title of the film first appears which quickly opens to a car holding some boys of around 18-20 who are identified as the Montague Boys. They are portrayed as loud, rude and obnoxious, though quite cool, outrageous and just having fun. They could be considered quite normal in an American high school. They reach the petrol station; this is a neutral ground; somewhere that everyone has to go to and neither one person’s territory or another’s.
The entire petrol scene has a very fast pace and your ears are filled with various powerful sounds. The camera-shots are very fast and distinctive. This all keeps the audience extremely engrossed in the action. The Capulet boys are portrayed very differently. They seem to be very sleek and sophisticated; they have a Latino feel and are very sharp. They wear a lot of crosses and emblems of the Virgin Mary, such as tattoos, on their guns and on Tybalt’s T-shirt. This theme runs throughout the film and gives it a kitsch, slightly glamorous, modern feel.
The entire film is accompanied by an incredible soundtrack. The music flows perfectly with the events and is only noticed either when looking out for it or just because you really enjoy a song. The music accompanying the shots of the city is choral music. It is very powerful and as we reach the showing of the title a crescendo is reached. The music is a bit like devil’s music giving more effect to the fire. The Montague boys enter whilst a punk song is playing, they are singing along. This gives the rebellious teenager effect. The Capulet Boy’s entrance is quite contrasting. Their introduction is done whilst playing the type of music played in westerns when to the rivals meet to fight. This makes the atmosphere seem tense and scary. All the sounds are very exaggerated and amplified. When Tybalt walks his silver-heeled shoes clink, when he stands on a cigarette it is ground into the floor. This emphasises his entrance. The fire towards the end of the petrol station scene ignites loudly, the bullets fired make loud almost cartoon-like noises and there are various ‘whooshing’ noises when the camera moves around fast. Luhrmann also uses silences to make the scene more tense and atmospheric. Towards the end of the fight scene the music builds up and once again you hear the helicopters. The noises of everyday things such as horns and shouting are exaggerated and these noises build up until Tybalt and Benvolio drop their guns down which creates a loud crash, once again exaggerated. This ‘larger than life’ feel keeps the audience engrossed in the action and gives Shakespeare a more fun edge.
The scene in which Romeo is introduced is completely different and contrasting to the previous scenes. You see him sitting moodily on the beach in what looks like an old decrepit playhouse. The area is quite empty and seedy. The music gives this scene an incredible amount of atmosphere and insight into how Romeo is feeling. It is sunset and the scene is hazy and romantic. He is smoking a cigarette whilst writing something like poetry in a scruffy suit. The music really sets the scene. All these elaborate and contrasting portrayals of the Montagues and Capulets through music attract the audience, keep them excited in the action and make it much more appealing and fun. They also keep it simple for the audience to understand. Obviously, the music modernises the story as it is modern music and goes well with the modern-day twists.
The clothes worn are clearly modern. This could’ve been done in a tacky way however but Luhrmann created such contrasts between the Capulets and Montagues and the costumes are not ‘the latest fashion’ making it much more timeless and effective. The Montagues wear bright and garish open Hawaiian shirts, adding to their rebellious appearance. The Capulets are completely different; wearing slick mainly black stylish trousers and waistcoats or similar black or red items. These two looks make it easy to identify the different families simplifying their personalities and the story in general. The slicked-back hair of the Capulets give them a Mafia look and the shaved heads of the Montague boys mixed with their attitude give the feeling of ruffian. However you see this is not true as they are the ones intimidated by the threat of violence from the Capulets.
The film is set in Verona as in the original text but more in Verona beach and appears to be in an American city rather than Italian, as is imagined. The petrol station is an effective place to set the fight as it is neutral ground and the audience can easily relate to it. The completely contrasting set of the Sycamore grove is quite appropriate because it effectively creates the slow moving and romantic backdrop for the introduction of a very important and romantic character, Romeo. There are the soothing sounds of the waves gently crashing and seagulls. They have also used the line “Where underneath the grove of sycamore…so early walking did I see your son.” They’ve also named the old playhouse sycamore grove to correspond with the original text.
The first scenes especially the petrol station consist of various genres. Luhrmann has used
aspects from other genres of films and put them into Romeo and Juliet. This makes it much more
exciting and action-packed. The entrance of the Capulets is clearly similar to the entrance of a
baddy’ in a Western film. The grinding of the cigarette, the camera angles and sounds
add to this effect. The camera focuses on just the eyes of Tybalt and Benvolio in a typical
Western style as well as filming the squeaking sign swinging; creating a tense atmosphere. The
movements, mainly of Tybalt create an action feel or that of a cartoon hero. This is due to the
exaggerated movements. This theatrical moment signifies to the audience the importance of the
characters. This all adds to the contemporary feel and emphasizes the idea of ‘goodies’ and
‘baddies’.
Lurhmann has a particularly individual style of filming. The camera shots and angles are different to most films and emphasises the things that are significant. The shots of Tybalt’s feet and eyes create a Western feel and build tension as well as highlight his importance and entrance. There are slow-motion shots, fast moving shots, free-frames and close-ups. All of these techniques draw attention to something important. For example; there is a close-up on the side of Benvolio’s gun where it says ‘sword 8mm’, this enables Luhrmann to relate back to the original script without changing any of the language.
Although the language is fairly different to how we speak nowadays it is still reasonably easy to understand. This is due to the fact that Luhrmann has picked out the lines from the script that relate best to present-day. He has not complicated what has happened and manages to tell the story so much through imagery and music that there does not need to be speech the entire time. He has also modernised some things such as the sword. There were obviously no such thing as guns in Shakespearian times, however, Luhrmann got around this without having to change any of the original script by writing sword on the side of the guns as if it were the brand name.
He also changed the character of the Prince into a chief of police by calling him Captain Prince as if it was his name. Another way in which he adapted the language and modernised it is at the beginning of the petrol station scene. One of the Montague boys ‘bites his thumb’ at the Capulets. Although this isn’t something done nowadays we get a clear sense of how rude it is by the reaction. The Capulet then replies by saying “Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?”, the ‘sir’ is used in a sarcastic way as if challenging his position.
A strong theme throughout the film is religious imagery. There are constantly crosses and the Virgin Mary blending into the scene. This is juxtaposed with the violence throughout the film. It could mean that religion goes violence. Even the guns have religious emblems emblazoned on them. This adds a colourful, glamorous and kitsch feel to the film. It is like a motif or logo running throughout the film and could be visual imagery to emphasize the contrasts of love and hate, good and evil.
Another constant theme is the constant contrasts right the way through the film. A very famous line from Romeo and Juliet highlights this; “My only love sprang from my only hate”. As well as the love and hate there is that of religion and violence going alongside each other, the Montague boys and Capulet boys, Romeo and Juliet themselves are contrasts and the setting of the petrol station and the Sycamore Grove. The futuristic setting contrasts with the Shakespearian language, yet they completely compliment each other.
Baz Luhrmann has managed to create a highly entertaining film out of a classic love story, he has enhanced and improved an already amazing story. His powerful music, vivid colours, contrasting costumes, exciting camera techniques and cross-reference of various genres all worked together to produce a timeless and unforgettable film. The above methods were no so obvious that they were distracting however; I found them subtle and extremely effective. I believe that Luhrmann’s aim was to create an enjoyable film for modern audience who needn’t have read the book or know the story and not in anyway ruin the original text. I believe that he achieved this very successfully.
