How does Luhrman make the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet exciting to a modern audience?

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How does Luhrman make the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet exciting to a modern audience?

Luhrman definitely makes watching Romeo and Juliet a great and memorable experience to a modern audience.  He uses film as a medium to get his message across.   This is different to other media as you can see a moving image as well as hearing it.  To most effect on the audience he makes sure he chooses the perfect props, setting, costuming and actors.

  The way Luhrman adapts the story is changed to suit our present day audience.  The chorus is told as a news report, telling us the events of what is going to happen.  It is like going quickly through the news bulletins and then having a voice over to show us what happened.  Present audiences know that the news shows serious things happening, like murders or terrorist attacks.  This is very effective as a news report is an indicator to us that something dramatic has happened.  The chorus is told again by a deep man’s voice.  It is sombre which makes it serious and intense.   This contrasts with how it is told the first time.  He uses two different media, TV and a voice over, to make it exciting to a modern audience.

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  The sound he uses is very exhilarating.  There is music played after the chorus is told and this is like choral music, it shows to me great suspense.  I picture two mean fighting to the death as I heard this music.  As this is happening we see a montage of shots, getting faster and faster, crescendo.  This is very thrilling.  As this fades we get introduced by the Montagues.  This is accompanied with a modern beat which shows that they are very laid back.  Also the way they dress backs this up.  They wear Hawaiian shirts, very colourful.  Luhrman ...

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