Romeo and Juliet - film versions.

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                                 Romeo and Juliet coursework.

This piece of coursework aims to compare two different Romeo and Juliet films on how well they represent the text. One of the films is directed by Franco Zeffirelli and set in the past, whilst the other was directed by Baz Luhrmann and is set in the modern era. Over the course of my comparison I will be looking at the way each production introduces and sets the scene. How the different characters are portrayed within the setting and how well each version represents the original text.

The Baz Luhrmann version starts the production with a newsreader on a television in the background. The television starts to move closer to the audience and the newsreaders speech gets louder. The newsreader is reading the prologue in Shakespearian language and in a manner that alerts the audience and makes them listen to what she is saying. In this version they miss the last few lines of the prologue (lines 10-14). This may be because the last few lines are not of any use to the viewer and may bore them, the viewer also may not be able to understand in depth Shakespearian language and therefore it would be incomprehensible.  The screen is then filled with bold writing saying “In fair Verona”. This is the point at which lots of different images come on to the screen showing different parts of the city and the place at which the Montague’s and Capulet’s live. He has made one change to the beginning by starting the play with the Montague’s instead of the Capulet’s. This could have been to make more of an effect when the cool Capulet’s come on and see the Montague’s messing around. The prologue in this version has been repeated. This is to emphasise the difference and quarrel between the two sides. The prologue is important as it introduces the scene and it also gives some background information so that you can have a better understanding of the play. The Franco Zeffirelli version starts off with a view across the city of Verona. It is very foggy and you cannot see many of the buildings. A voice in the background is reading the prologue in Shakespearian language and in a monotone voice. This version also misses the same lines as in the Luhrmann version (lines10-14) this would most likely be for the same reasons. Unlike the Baz Luhrmann version, Franco Zeffirelli has kept the Capulet’s entering the film first. I think that the Baz Luhrmann version is more successful at opening the production because he grabs the viewer’s attention well and lets the viewer see the town of Verona in depth. He also shows the viewer where the two sides live, this helps the viewer recognise the building later on in the film.

Baz Luhrmann sets his scene in the city of Verona. Most of Act 1 scene 1 is set in a petrol station somewhere in Verona. This is not like the script, which is set in a market town. Baz Luhrmann may have decided to change this to make it more appealing to the viewer. Also if it is set in the modern city of Verona it appears as a more realistic option.

The main shapes you see in the scene are the huge cuboid-shaped skyscrapers towering above the characters and the smaller petrol tanks that are in the petrol station. The main colours the viewer sees are the bright coloured cars that either side drive around. (Montague’s drive a yellow car and the Capulet’s drive a blue car)  The other colours are of the costumes the characters wear. These are contrasted to show the difference between the two sides, and to show the personality of the characters. Franco Zeffirelli also sets his scene in Verona but keeps to the script by setting it in a market place. The main shapes are the cube-shaped market stalls. There is not much of a background because it is in side a big wall so you can only see the old brickwork. The main colours are of the characters costumes and the variety of fruit and vegetables that are being sold. I think that the Franco Zeffirelli version represents the setting best because it is set in the traditional market place just like in the text.  

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Baz Luhrmann made one change to the characters in his film. He took Abraham from the Montague’s and put him on the Capulet’s side. He also changed his name to Abra. This may have been because Abraham was quite a vicious character and would therefore fit better in the Capulet side. The first impressions of the Montague boys are that they are very laid back with no cares in the world. Their actions represent their immaturity as they are always mucking around. They provoke the Capulet’s by biting their thumbs at them. Once the Capulet’s see them they act ...

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