Although the film is set in Verona; Shakespeare’s original setting, it is made to look like the crime packed ghetto areas of America, such as New York’s Bronx, and was actually filmed in Mexico city, part decaying Miami. Luhrmann chose this destination to create a sense of rush that a scorching hot, busy city carries, full of crime and violence – a city which never sleeps. I find that this concept was presented perfectly as numerous shots of crime were displayed; such as people vandalising the neighbourhood, people being arrested and people running away from home or the police as hell breaks loose. We are immediately made to acknowledge that the war is between the two big families of Capulets and Montagues because of the newspaper headlines and skyscrapers holding up high the two separate household names. The short period of time enables a vivid picture of the city to be fixed into out minds. In Shakespearean times, there was no such thing as skyscrapers. However, in the film, the city is full of dark towering blocks, which look over the city blocking the light, to trap citizens from happiness and freedom away from the continuous conflict. It is as if there is misdemeanour in every street corner. Luhrmann’s Verona is made to be a nauseatingly uncomfortable and unsettling broken down environment.
After the slow unemotional (yet suspenseful) start with the news report, fast editing is combined with a mixture of dominating music to bring forward the ambience of a stimulating, violent urban city. This is the thought which Baz Luhrmann wants to put into the audiences’ mind for their first impression of not so “fair” Verona; so after the news report is told, the camera whizzes into the screen behind the news reader which displays a blown up petrol station, burning away as chaos fills the air. The serenade of blasting classic opera music, which is played while the images of the shocking city are presented, makes the seriousness and dramatic quality. The rapid montage of imagery adds to the rush of adrenaline that is felt when you watch this scene. A police helicopter is shown hovering unsteadily in the air. Moreover, as if it is being shot from the helicopter, bird’s eye view shots are taken with speed shots - many long shots zooming into close-ups as the panoramic view of the city is previewed. It is as if Verona is being shaken by the crime when the noisy helicopter makes the camera focus shaky. The fast editing which shows us police cars, people being chased and people being injured makes the upbeat anxiety more effective. Another aspect of the opening, which I found effective, is the voice-over. Made to seem God-like, it echoes the story in brief, in a somewhat worried and disappointed tone of voice. Luhrmann indicates the ongoing vendetta by showing the close up pictures of the families on Newspaper with flames flickering in front of the headlines, which come from Shakespeare’s prologue. The flames symbolise hatred, dispute and fury. Towards the end of the introduction, the roaring opera music reaches its climax, getting louder and speedier, before fading into a new genre of music for the next scene, using drum roll.
Baz Luhrmann chose to clarify whom the characters are in a way to make it easy for the viewers to identify who is who. He also designed their appearance so that we can learn about their personalities through the way they make facial expressions, dress and move. To introduce the main characters, they are shown moving before a close-up of their face is suddenly captured in a freeze frame, with their name up in bold capital letters near the image of their face. For example, for Romeo’s father, it said “TED MONTAGUE” and underneath that “Romeo’s father”, to prevent confusion. After the prologue is told, Benvolio and some of the other close friends of Romeo are introduced using energetic rock music. We immediately see them as the fun loving, friendly, funny type, supported by the fact that they have dyed hair and all seem to be wearing yellow. However, the same thought does not come to mind when the Capulets make their entrance. By using villainous Western “Clint Eastwood” music when Tybalt enters the scene, we imagine him to be a malicious cruel type. When he steps out of the car, the first thing the camera focuses on is his shoes – sharp silver cowboy boots which he uses to crush his burning cigarette on the floor, grinding it unpleasantly against the rough pavement. This makes him seem callous and cold-blooded. That is how loud these actions speak, even before he has spoken a word. Tybalt and the other Capulets wear black leather and have dark, slick hairstyles, contributing to their dark personalities. Tybalt has an image of Jesus on his top while all the other Capulet and Montague gangsters have the crucifix symbol on their guns. The audience can recognise that the characters are strong Christian Catholics.
Romeo is revealed later on instead of at the beginning of the film. He is shown sitting by himself on a bench in the beach, writing in his diary as the sunsets behind him, and soft music gently plays in the background. I think Baz Luhrmann’s attempt to make Romeo come across, as the passionate, sensitive and sentimental type of person was successful. A Sunset is thought to be a romantic moment and people who keep track of life in a diary are seen as insightful and considerate. Therefore, the audience’s first impressions of Romeo will be that he is quite emotional and caring – just what girls want. In addition, who is better for this part than Leonardo DiCaprio? Luhrmann knew well that if he cast a man who could capture the hearts of young girls, his film would be more popular. Therefore, DiCaprio is the perfect person for this part with his charming wit and attractiveness. Luhrmann opted to have Clare Danes to play the fair Juliet. She makes a breathtaking Juliet, merging strength and fragility into one. The characteristics Danes holds are sophistication, grace and innocence - how Juliet is meant to be. This is expressed during the short moment when she is first introduced in the film. Juliet is uncovered with her face under water where she escapes for peace, away from her mother’s shouting voice. We are made to think that she is bossed around a lot so feels trapped at home. Luhrmann cleverly uses water, which is a symbol showing that Juliet is pure, clean and virginal.
With his radical approach to Romeo and Juliet, Baz Luhrmann incorporated lively, modern cinematographic techniques, with a variety of boisterous raging soundtracks and flamboyant bold brassy imagery to engage today’s young audience in the first few minutes of the film, whilst all at the same time staying true to Shakespeare’s original script. Of all the scenes, the most startling one is the prologue with so much happening at once in a remarkably short space of time, to leave you breathless and craving for more. It is clear that this a modern remake of the story when the film starts with the camera zooming into a TV news report. Luhrmann wanted to keep the spirit of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet alive but also longed to grab the attention of the modern day audience who may seem to think that Shakespeare novels are boring and difficult to understand. He achieved his goal tremendously. The opening is anything but boring, meaning that this would be a great way to educate students in school about the story, keeping them interested at the same time. In addition, to help us to understand what the plot is all about, the prologue is repeated, newspaper headlines are shown, subtitles label main characters, skyscrapers bare the names of the two families at war and billboards even carry Shakespearean quotes. Therefore, it is not only the montage, but also the roundabout of constant camera jerks, which make this scene so fast paced and upbeat. The importance of casting was well recognised during the production of this movie. The main actors of the cast were Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo), Clare Danes (Juliet), John Leguizamo (Tybalt), Harold Perrineau (Mercutio), Dash Mihok (Benvolio) – all popular young actors and actors. The attributes the characters possess were shown through the high quality acting. I would definitely recommend this film to others. The mis-en-scene is one of the best I have ever seen. As a producer and a director, Baz Luhrmann managed to pump new life into this well known much adapted tale, in an exceptionally unique style, which will be regarded as a classic timeless piece of cinematography for years to come.
