Following this, a male reporter with a deep authoritative voice reports from the scene of the action in Verona. This is a new addition by the director and does not occur in the original play. The tone of his voice catches the audience’s attention as he reports the romantic tragedy. There are also glimpses of the front pages of newspapers reporting the deaths in Verona. Because the action is front-page news then it is important.
A frame of the family trees of the Capulets and Montagues on different sides going up in flames reinforces the tension between their two important families from Verona. The bitterness between the two families has brought about the downfall of both Romeo and Juliet.
Characters are introduced during this prologue in a Dallas/ Dynasty style fashion, which a modern audience is used to. Head and shoulder shots or medium close-ups are used so that faces can be identified easier for the audience and that you can recognise them before they speak. A number of characters have been given modern Christian names so that today’s audience can relate more easily to them. Names such as Ted Montague and Dave Paris are used. In addition Mercutio is black to show today’s changing society. Their clothes are expensive to reflect their social standing.
Sentences are flashed onto the screen in quick succession. The background is black with white lettering. This bleak black and white effect gives a gritty dramatic effect to the bare facts of the romantic tragedy. It is eye-catching for the audience and emphasises the contrast between Romeo and Juliet.
Camera shots are used effectively in this prologue when the newsreader appears she is on a small screen, which slowly becomes larger and larger as she comes forwards to engage the audience’s attention. This is called a creeping zoom. Later the camera pans across the modern city of Verona showing present day skyscrapers and congestion. These are establishing shots and give the audience an idea of the film’s setting.
After we have seen these wide shots of the city, the director uses a crash zoom to draw us down into the particular section of the city where the action takes place. This is in contrast to the slow, creeping zoom used earlier. The fast editing in the prologue results in quick, snappy, action, which produces excitement and interest for the audience.
Whilst the camera passes over the city and zooms down into Verona streets, music plays. The choice of music is appropriate for the nature of the film because it is dramatic, rousing opera music. It is an operatic chorus that replaces the old Elizabethan chorus that would normally read the prologue. Verona is in Italy and opera is the national music. Luhrmann changes the music cleverly as at the start there is no music and afterwards he uses funk music, this appeals to the modern teen audience.
It can be seen, then, that Luhrmann uses various methods to draw his audience into the film. These include music, modern setting, fast editing, clever camera work, modern introduction of characters and casting. The use of stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio would draw in a younger audience whereas Shakespeare’s story draws in the older audience.
Hardeep Sarai 11HA
