As Romeo is entering the tomb very adventurous music is being played- this is very effective, adding a more nerve wrecking atmosphere. Unlike Luhrmans version Juliet was not a centre piece and did not have any beautiful surroundings around her which I thought made it more like real life and not a fairy tale .As I noticed in the film almost all the people shown in the tomb were men, which I think meant that men were thought more superior to women In those days, there were no such things as equal rights. Tybalt was among the Capulet people in this tomb and Romeo stood beside Tybalt asking Tybalt for forgiveness this was not however shown in the Luhrman version. Romeo stands beside Juliet who looks like an angel- she is dressed in a glamorous and colourful dress, unlike Romeo, he was wearing a ripped velvet top and velvet trousers he looked very scruffy and not well presented, as you would expect- this made it seem more enchanting.
Romeo still standing beside Juliet says his final speech. There was a sad and long drawn out flowing and jerky music when Romeo drunk the poison. I thought that the music symbolised the poison tumbling down the back of Romeo’s throat. Romeo falls and dies on the ground beside Juliet. Romeo pictured lying dead on the ground looked terrible so we looked down on him as Juliet looked so innocent and beautiful, It made it seem as if Romeo had been through everything to get to her and this was very romantic I thought.
Juliet awoke expecting to see her husband but instead saw Friar Laurence she was happy when she awoke out of her deep sleep until she looked around to see her one true love dead on the floor. She couldn’t believe it Friar Laurence tried to get her to come with him but she refused, Friar Laurence heard noises and was getting very panicked he could have been found guilty for the death of Romeo so he fled out of the tomb leaving Juliet on her own. She looked at Romeo lying on the ground and cried she acted out her part very well she made us feel extremely sad she took Romeo’s sword took one last look at Romeo and died very painfully as Romeo did.
Luhrman’s death scene.
This scene started with a news bulletin, which gives it a modern feel at the very start of the scene. When Romeo has been told about Juliet’s death he is totally shocked he can’t take it in he jumps into the car and speeds off into the city where Juliet is. In the Zefferelli version Romeo’s means of travel to go to Juliet was by horse in Luhrmans it was by car this is showing how modern the Luhrmans version was compared to the Zefferellies’ one. Romeo speeds away out of the dessert type surroundings in which he was hiding out in. He leaves when the sun is shining and arrives to the city in which Juliet is at night-time, which tells us that he was a long way away from Juliet. As Romeo enters the city the atmosphere is very dramatic this is shown by the music, helicopters cars skidding and different types of lights flashing. In this version it shows Romeo buying the poison unlike the Zefferelli version. The police were chasing Romeo and as he was going into the church they had surrounded him by police cars, helicopters, flashlights, dogs e.t.c. The music at this time was very quick and like music from an action film. Romeo was in a real panic he had to get to see Juliet, so he took a hostage outside the church and threatened that he would kill him if the police would not let him go into the church.
So Romeo went into the church and while he was inside the helicopter could be heard this emphasised the calm peaceful tranquil church compared to the outside world, which was full of panic. Juliet was at the top of the aisle surrounded by lots of candles and this made it seem very unreal because it was more like a fairy tale with lots of candles and beautiful things. Romeo looked happier when he saw Juliet. Romeo beside Juliet now placed his wedding ring, which he wore as a necklace on Juliet’s finger. . Juliet never before this time had the chance to wear her wedding ring she was scared of her parents finding it. Inside the ring the message “I love thee “ was engraved which was very poignant and romantic this showed the symbol of love for each other.
As Romeo says his ending speech the music is very sad, romantic and tranquil and as he is saying his speech we can see Juliet moving a tiny little bit, and the music as Romeo reaches for his poison without seeing that Juliet has woken up drinks it. Juliet tapped him and he turns round to see her but unfortunately it is too late Juliet and Romeo talk to each other they can’t believe what is happening Romeo tells Juliet he loves her and dies. This is a very dramatic time for Juliet she has just woken up and saw Romeo and thought he was waiting there for her until she sees him drink the poison and taps him to late and watches him die very painfully and disbelieved. Juliet cries loudly and she reaches for Romeo’s gun puts it at her head and pulls the trigger she falls suddenly and dies straight away
When Romeo first saw Juliet dead he shouted at the sun, as she looked so beautiful and innocent. The cameras did a slow motion of the gun as if Juliet might regret it. The cameras also focused on the cross at the end, which I think meant that religion was very important to the eponymous heroes. Unlike Zefferelli’s version Juliet was definitely the centrepiece in the church. Juliet and her surroundings were lit up very well unlike Zefferelli's version were it was dark and gloomy. When the bodies are taken out of the church to their families the whole screen is in black and white this is very effective shown us that the light has gone out of the families life .At the end of the film it shows happy flash backs of Romeo and Juliet together. The very end of the film is a news bulletin finishing the way it started. I thought that this was particularly effective as it was a modern film and as television does play such a major role in our society today it made it feel more realistic to myself. Therefore I feel that the two different versions of the death scenes are very different from each other. The old version was a very simple one way death for Romeo Juliet was dead when he was killing himself and woke up after he was dead unlike the modern version death when Juliet was wakening up seeing Romeo beside her and is very happy until she sees him drinking some poison then she taps him but its too late he holds Juliet who is totally astonished about what had just happened .Romeo is in pure agony when he is dying and we understand why this is a very dramatic and sad death unlike the old version.
Overall I would have to say that I enjoyed Baz Luhrmans version of Romeo and Juliet more than I enjoyed Zefferelli’s, because Luhrmans version was modern and I felt that I could relate to it more, because it had the same surroundings as I have and it seemed more real to me, I could understand it more. I thoroughly enjoyed Zefferelli’s version and I thought that he picked better actors/actresses than Luhrman not so much with Romeo, but I think that Olivia Hussey looked more like Juliet age wise because remember Juliet was only 14. I saw many changes by the directors here are some: Juliet kills herself by a gun instead of a sword, Romeo spoke to Tybalt in old one and not in new one e.t.c. I was very interested in finding out that neither of the two directors showed the killing of Paris because it would’ve taken the effect away of the eponymous heroes. The death scene in Luhrman’s version was much more emotional.
