Operatic music playing in the background adds to the dramatic effect of the documentary like introduction. Operatic music is useful because it is generally taken seriously adding to the documentary style of presentation. When Benvolio come out of the toilets and tells the Capulets to raise their swords there is a moment of silence emphasised by the whistling of the wind and the creaking of the sign. This builds the apprehension of impending violence.
The scene started with aerial shots of the cities streets below showing pictures of a large chaotic city, adding to the sense of realism. We are then in the car with the Montagues, racing through the streets with them. The camera angle is from behind meaning that when the Montague boys turn round we feel as if we are actually there in the car. The initial camera shots of the Capulets are of only their boots, this conveys their superiority over the Montagues and us seeing as we are looking up to them. The close-up shots of the Capulets show them as imposing characters, due to the fact that they fill the majority of the frame, unlike the Montagues who fill less than half. This device works well because it can show superiority of a person. For example Abra fills the screen whereas the two Montague boys together don’t fill the shot. This gives us the impression of Abra being a more aggressive, dominant character.
This sequence relies heavily on setting so as to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense. The film starts with a TV screen right at the back of a black room; because the room is black it focuses our attention on to the screen. The camera zooms in closer to the screen and we go into it, as if we are going inside the story. Before we arrive at the petrol station there is a preview of what we are going to see in the movie and it introduces some of the characters. This preview has large parts of it taken from a camera in a helicopter, giving us the feeling that we are going to watch the story as it unfolds. The main part of this sequence is set in a petrol station. We would think of this as being a very routine place for the Montagues when they pull up. We are thinking that they will just fill the car up with petrol, chat and leave. But the fact that the Capulets also arrive and a gunfight breaks out shocks the audience because no one would want to be in that situation whilst that is taking place.
The costumes given to the Capulets and the costumes given to the Montagues in this scene are very different to each other. The Montagues are wearing Hawaiian shirts and shorts showing a very casual “boyish” attitude unlike the Capulets who are dressed very imposingly with sophistication and complexity. The images given from these two styles of dressing are that the Montague boys are childish and leave the work to their older family members whereas the Capulet boys are dressing in a mature manner as if to show their importance and this suggests that they feel ready to play bigger roles in their families’ work. The effect that this has on the audience is that the Capulets are capable of much more than the Montagues.
When the Montagues are fleeing the petrol station the lighting is at a low angle as if the sun is setting such as at dusk. It was once thought that you died in the evening and were reborn in the morning. I believe the director chose this time of day because someone has been shot dead. It is strange that the fight scene is shot during the daytime, I believe this emphasises the violence and hate between the families.
Finally Luhrmann shows the authority of captain prince over the two families by taking a shot that looks up to him in the helicopter making him seem very big. This is also emphasised by a close up that follows. The effect this has on us as the audience is that we feel small. This helps us to imagine how Benvolio and Tybalt feel surrounded by helicopters and armed police.
The opening scene is fast and impressive. The modern setting helps the modern day audience understand Shakespeares’ dialogue. Luhrmann is successful in hooking the audience because of his use of setting and drama. I think one of the main reasons you to continue watching is because of the action and the use of music/sound effects. However even if there was no sound you would still be able to watch the movie and understand it fairly well because of the over dramatic technique used. This is useful for people who may not understand the language that the original script was written in. In all I feel this opening sequence was a success in hooking the audience because of its accessibility to all age groups and all levels of intellect.
