Dramatic, operatic music is played while a city is being filmed quite fast from a birds eye view. The music is very effective here by the way it creates a mood before explaining it. The fast scan of the city gives you a rough understanding of the film setting and helps you to develop an image in your mind. You then see violence being filmed in the way you would see on a live news report, helicopters and polices cars are filmed and the name on the side of the cars are zoomed in on. The names reads ‘Verona Beach’, you then know where the film is being set. You then see clips of modern newspaper articles about the Montague’s and the Capulet’s; they are shown as rival businesses. Posters are also shown both of these express how strong the two businesses hatred is for one and other. This use of propaganda is useful as it shows how everyone knows about the massive hatred between the two 'businesses'. I illustrates how it is not a minor family dispute it is a major event it has to be because it makes the front page headline.
Once again the prologue is read out and some of the lines are shown on the screen to increase the impact that they have on the audience. Not only does it increase impact but when you read not merely listen you begin to thoroughly understand the feel and emotion behind the words. This method is used today in the play 'As you like it'. The words are written for the audience see, hear and understand the meaning. I think that is what Luhrmann is trying to do. This time the lines are read out by a different person and in a different way. They are being read by a man, who you realise later in the film is the priest, he is not seen but his voice is recognisable. He reads the lines as though they were fearful words only to be uttered by the evil. He reads them to the audience as though it is a terrible, dark and twisted secret. This atmosphere is incredibly effective. Despite the fact that he is reading, the operatic music that you heard earlier is still played very quietly in the background. This adds to the dark atmosphere mentioned earlier. Also whilst he is reading you see newspapers being thrown down and all the headlines are lines of the prologue you are listening to at that moment in time. Here you are reading only the important parts of the story not al of it. This is successful because those lines are crucial details that will stay in the watchers mind until the end of the film. As the narrator is nearing the end of the prologue the music steadily builds up and the instant it is finished there is a burst of music. This makes you switch from listening and understanding the lines to knowing and enjoying the new found information. The sinister music fits the secretive mood of the lines you just read, listened to and felt. There is then a short amount of inter-cutting of later scenes from the film. This is to give the audience a quick taste of the rest of the film as if to tickle their taste buds and lure them in. The main co-stars characters of the film are then introduced in the way characters of a soap opera would be introduced, however the two main characters of the film are not introduced until the film has actually begun. This is because the two main characters are more complex and if the audience see the characters develop throughout the film it will give them the sense that they know and feel what the character feels. Next the two corporations are shown again to lay emphasis on the fact that they are business rivals. Then quite unexpectedly all the lines of the prologue that had been read earlier flash up on the screen one by one in different types of font in white writing on a black background. This is very effective because you pick out the key words you were shown earlier in the newspaper headlines and therefore think you understand the basics of the storyline. There is then a lot of fast inter-cutting of later scenes and the music is rapidly building up. It abruptly stops and the title ‘Romeo and Juliet’ crashes onto the screen. It then slides off to reveal the next scene. The extra inter-cutting traps the audience and it is then when they become involved in the storyline themselves. The crashing title is almost a break to separate two scenes so that the audience does not get confused and loose interest.
This next scene begins with the Montague ‘boys’ driving quite fast down a highway shouting in a rather childlike way. They are all wearing Hawaiian shirts and one of them has pink hair! The simple use of colours indicates the basic personalities of the gang instantly. Their car is a bright yellow convertable, and when they are seen a title comes up beside them and there is a freeze frame while they are introduced as ‘The Montague Boys.’ The music changes to rock and the words 'The Boys, The Boys' are said. This indicates that they see themselves as the boys, the lads, which adds to their personalities that little bit more. Also the freeze frame helps to create a mental photo of them this technique is used and later is very useful. They screech into a petrol station and a close up of their registration plates are shown and they read ‘Montague’. These simple introductions that are used are easy for the audience to pick up on, yet they are vital in the understanding of the entire scene later. Instantly a comical character is introduced he is unsurprisingly the ‘boy’ with pink hair. There is also a close up of the petrol sign which has ‘Add more fuel to you fire’ written on it. The word 'fire' instantly bring anger and hatred to mind because they were key words in the opening scene. Therefore the slogan gains a whole new meaning. It know says 'put more energy an passion into your hatred and anger. This develops later in the scene. Then the Capulet’s are brought into the film, they drive a smart blue car and their registration plate reads ‘Capulet’. As they get out of the car only their feet are filmed they are seen stubbing out a cigarette, they have very smart shoes on. There is a freeze frame and they are introduced as ‘The Capulet Boys’. There is a massive contrast in characters from laid back and ladish to smart and stylish. Another simple introduction helps to bring the story line together. Again, because it is written it helps you to remember who is who, rather than having to be told verbally several times. The two sides begin to quarrel when storms in and shouts ‘Part fools, you know not what you do.’ There is then a close up of his face and a freeze frame. He is frozen while still in action. You see his troubled expression, you feel his sacredness. Also the music to quick high pitched tune as if frightened itself. He is then introduced as ‘Benvolio Romeos cousin.’ he tries to stop the fight but is interrupted by ‘Tybalt. Juliet’s cousin. The prince of cats.’ There is a close up of his face as he lights a cigarette and a freeze frame as he ids introduced. He and Benvolio speak of making peace there area lot of close ups of the other characters as they talk. In this freeze frame you can see that he is very calm and looks in control in contrast with Benvolio who looks very anxious to know what is going to happen next. The type of music used here is slow and almost country style, the kind of music you would hear in a western cowboy film. Tybalt expresses how he hates peace and all Montagues. The camera only shows his mouth as he talks and his and Benvolios eyes. The close up of Tybalts face slows a smirk and the close up of Benvolios eyes exaggerate his fear. Suddenly a little boy behind Tybalt, with a toy gun shouts ‘Bang Bang’ as he does so Tybalt swings round a points a gun to the young boys head and says calmly ‘Bang’. This breaks the tension. A new type of music starts to play as the two gangs begin to fight. A lot of fast changing camera shots make a vast difference to the slow close ups. This nearly shocks the audience, it is an effective way to break an already set mood.
The comical character is seen screaming and shooting the sign that reads ‘Add more fuel to your fire’ over and over again. This helps express the meaning and shows violence. Benvolio is shot and the others in the Montague gang drive off in their car because they had left in the petrol pump as they drive off petrol spills over the floor and over Benvolio.. As they do so Tybalt kneels down and reveals the top he is wearing which has the Virgin Mary on it he reaches for a gun and kisses it, he then stands up and takes great care to aim for one of the Montagues in the car. He then drops the cigarette he was smoking onto the floor this is played in slow motion. The slow motion creates a lot of anxiety for the audience because it keeps them asking 'What is going to happen next'. When the cigarette hits the floor it catches fire does Benvolio quickly realises that he is lying in a pool of petrol and gets up hastily picking up his gun and running away into busy traffic still shooting at Tybalt. The change from slow motion to a quick reaction relaxes the scene because the audience are no longer guessing. The flames are filmed in slow motion as they burn away at the petrol station and the sign that we are familiar with already. Watching everything burn in slow motion is a good idea because the audience are staring at flames, which represent strong hate and anger. When it shows the sign burning it is a way to say 'This is what does' With a single camera shot. You then see the fire as it destroys everything and you then realize the fire destroy the building id a symbol for the way hate destroys love.
I believe that in this film the camera shots add so much more to the mood that is already being created. For example when the two rival gangs are about to fight the quick shots at the faces of the others in the gang show how scared and anxious they are. This mood is then reflected back to the audience as they think that they can truly feel the emotions that they are watching. The fast inter-cutting makes the film very quick and exciting, the birds-eye scans of the city let you see the big picture and show you everything that is happening, the close ups show expressions of the characters in great detail and they also give you information. An example of this would be when the cars drive into the petrol station there is a close up of their number plates, this tells us, both, who is driving the car and, in some way, what to expect. The reason being, we know that they are rivals and the fact that they are both in the same place at the same time might cause some tension between them.
The music also makes a large impact on the audience. The music was well chosen and is always appropriate. You will find when watching the film that it sets the scene before anything really happens. This helps to develop the anticipation of the audience, the different types of music indicate the different types of mood and scene that you expect.
This film is exceptionally good quality, in my opinion. The film gives you all the information by showing you in camera shots or telling you without words just music. The techniques were used very effectively. I think Luhrmann truly did bring the beautiful story of 'Romeo and Juliet.' This story is truly timeless and with thanks to Luhrmann it will be remembered by the youth of today. Unfortunately they will always picture Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the characters nevertheless the story will never die.
