Working with this inspiration, Baz Luhrmann was determined to make Shakespeare proud and to find an ‘original approach’ to his writing.
Baz Luhrmann was enthused by Shakespeare and wanted to make him known again, especially to ‘adolescents all around the world’.
Baz Luhrmann’s main obstacle was the obscure language Shakespeare wrote with. Capturing the language Shakespeare used and keeping ensured that the audience understood what was being said, proved to be a problem for Baz Luhrmann. Using words to support the visuals, (‘to show the words with what you saw’) made it possible for Baz Luhrmann to include Shakespeare’s language.
Making the characters recognisable to ones you would see in the modern world today was how Baz Luhrmann reached out to his audience’s understanding. By giving characters a new, modern edge to the one Shakespeare gave them but still keeping the character’s personality and intentions, Baz Luhrmann perceived characters as individuals we are familiar with today. For example, Tybalt was made to seem like a ‘gangster’, strutting around slinging out his gun at whoever provoked him.
Baz Luhrmann looked at the world around him, and saw ‘rich kids’. His philosophy was that they have money, they have cars and they probably drive around in their rich cars, slinging off each other, armed to the teeth. This stereotypical outlook on the younger generation of the 20th century is what drove Baz Luhrmann to interpret the gangs in the way he did and probably gave the audience something to relate to.
Carefully analysing every detail of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Baz Luhrmann tried to take over every idea in attempt to make the film his own.
The film works in many different ways, both which are easy to see and ones which are tediously place to create depth in the film.
There isn’t one element of the film which is there by chance or coincidence, every detail has thought behind it.
Baz Luhrmann uses both western themes and personification to show the characteristics of certain characters, for example Tybalt is made to move around like a flamenco and when he steps out the car you get the feeling of a ‘western cowboy’ from his rattling, buckle on his boot.
The film techniques were borrowed from Westerns e.g. fast tracking, crash zoom and slow mo, to also demonstrate these themes.
Using either the option to see who is speaking in a camera shot or to see the characters reaction’s to what is being said, is dependant on what is happening. When Tybalt is eyeing up a shot with his gun a ‘point of view’ shot is used so you become the character. This is used so that you feel the same determination that the character you’re watching is feeling too.
The transitions used are specifically made for a younger audience, as they’re fast, snappy and interesting, captivating the mind of a young person’s short attention span. I think the quick transitions are also used to build up the speed of the audience’s heartbeats. In such a fast pace sequence, the break up in transitions can have an effect on your heartbeat, allowing you to feel almost as out of breath as the characters your watching.
When you’re watching a fast cut, or a dissolve or fade in your stomach sort of follows with it, for example a fast pan transition can give you a disorientating effect.
Close ups can give you an extra insight into what a character is like. For example the close up on Tybalt’s feet, allow you to see that his rich because of his leather boots. The close up on Tybalt’s teeth show the letters ‘S, N’ and show what an intimidating character Tybalt can be. The close up could have shown any part of Tybalt’s face, but choosing his teeth would give the audience a ‘snarling’ impression of Tybalt, and that his ‘ready to sink his teeth into you’.
The costumes chosen for the two families are vital to symbolise again the differences between them both.
The Capulet boys are dressed smartly in suits to coincide with their ‘more serious’ attitude whilst the Montague boys are dressed in bright, Hawaiian t-shirts to show their opposing fun, lively side.
The Capulet’s wealth is shown by the amount of jewellery worn and the many close ups on their feet make it even more noticeable to see their expensive, leather boots.
The importance of religion to the rivalry between the two families is shown within costume as well. Tybalt is wearing a waistcoat with an image of Jesus on the front and many of the Capulet boys are wearing cross and chains. This helps the audience to have a clear distinction between the two gangs. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet one family would most probably have worn one colour and the other family would wear a different colour, luckily Baz Lurhmann is able to play around with what the families wore.
The many props are used with great effect as the camera highlights them to distinguish the differences between the families. The conflict is shown throughout each prop. The guns with ‘swords’ for their brand name isn’t just a prop but a link with Shakespeare’s language of, drawing out your sword in ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
The noticeable distinction between the Montague cars to the Capulet car shows again their difference in wealth and how they present themselves to others. The Montague car is a yellow open top pick up truck while the Capulet car is a blue saloon. Even the opposing colours demonstrate the conflict between the families as yellow is a bright, cheerful colour when blue is a duller more serious colour.
At every opportunity, Baz Luhrmann is trying to show the significant differences between the families, which are why conflict occurs so often.
Music is a key element to creating atmosphere and tone to a film. Music suggests the mood in which your characters are in and it adds tension to the scene. There are many different types of music blended together to create a variation of theme in Baz Luhrmann’s opening sequence.
The western sounding music of whistling and enhanced footsteps is mainly for the character Tybalt as he the focal point of the scene. His character is also being per trade as a ‘cowboy’ along with his costume of leather boots and the clinking noise of his spur. The western theme also symbolises rivalry and the constant gun drawing battle between the two families.
The choir singing reflects on the religious content and the lively, rap music in the scene brings you back to modern day.
Combined with the camera angles, transitions, setting, props, costume and music Baz Luhrmann was successful in creating a modern day interpretation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The film brings light to how fantastic Shakespeare’s plays are and many would agree that it does him justice. The impact of the sequence gives us Baz Luhrmann's take on Shakespeare's energy and style.
Baz Luhrmann has attempted to include as many of the first seventy lines of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in his five minute and thirty-five seconds opening sequence.
Counting at least twelve accounts of when Baz Lurhmann included Shakespeare’s language I believe it was important to him to give his yet younger audience the same old English we all know Shakespeare to have written.
All the lines included in Baz Lurhmann’s sequence seem to be centred on conflict between characters. For example Gregory says ‘The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men’ and Capulet says ‘my sword I say! Old Montague is come, and flourishes his blade in spite of me.’ -Both quotes demonstrate conflict, although in the second quote from Capulet, the ‘swords’ don’t imply a bladed sword, but a gun. Baz Lurhmann has cleverly used Shakespeare’s language to fit around his ideas.
On some occasions Shakespeare’s language has been used but words have been taken away. In Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Tybalt says ‘what drawn and talk of peace?’ but in Baz Lurhmann’s sequence he merely says ‘peace’. I think this adds to Baz Lurhmann’s interpretation because Tybalt still had impact within saying his line, even though it was cut short compared to the original. I think Baz Luhrmann decided that Tybalt as the character he created wouldn’t stand there and waffle two sentences, but would capture your attention with one word.
Many of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has been left out of Baz Luhrmann’s sequence. I think Baz Lurhmann has left out what he feels is irrelevant or might ‘bore’ the audience, such as longer speeches made by Gregory. I think this again adds to Baz Lurhmann’s sequence because it wouldn’t be his own interpretation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ if he just used everything Shakespeare did. By limiting the amount of language he took from Shakespeare’s version makes it interesting to hear, when you do realise a character is speaking it.
Baz Lurhmann experimented with the text from Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by having phrases not spoken by characters but written in the back round of the scene. For example, ‘add fuel to your fire’ was the sign at the petrel station. Again this quote is based on conflict and etherises the key purpose of this opening scene, to show the rivalry between the families.
I think Baz Lurhmann respects Shakespeare’s language and how he wrote ‘Romeo and Juliet’, otherwise he wouldn’t have stayed true to the text. Baz Lurhmann believes that Shakespeare’s words from the play weren’t to have been forgotten even though this is a film version. I think Baz Lurhmann wanted to stay true to his stimulus and needed to, as the text is the bones to the tender meat Baz Lurhmann created.
The target audience for the film is for a younger generation of people aged from 15-35. I think this because of the content of the sequence being mostly action and the music and costumes appealing to a younger audience. Baz Lurhmann explained that he wanted to bring Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ alive for an adolescent; I think the way he used gun action, fast pan camera angles and intricate characters would have animated the genius of Shakespeare’s work perfectly.
This target audience would expect action, to be on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. Unluckily I haven’t watched the whole film but I was certainly captured by the opening scene.
Baz Lurhmann gave them action, he gave the audience a gun shooting, ‘western’ conflict acted out by appealing actors. He gave them silences at the tension mounting moments when it was needed, when Tybalt had lit the match and it fell to the floor. He gave them fast paced transitions which would speed up your heartbeat and most of all he gave you that feeling of wanting to watch on to find out what happens.
I enjoyed watching the Baz Lurhmann’s sequence and liked viewing it at first with sound and just the visuals and then sound without the visuals. This for me had a great impact on how important sound and image is to a film.
The sequence was exciting to watch and I liked noticing the parts Baz Lurhmann had took from Shakespeare, and I found it made it easier for me to remember. I think Baz Lurhmann is a very clever director, to be able to capture Shakespeare’s writing in a modern day film along with adding his own idea is just amazing.
I like how Baz Lurhmann has taken one element of conflict between the families and has shown it in so many different ways. For example the religious aspect was shown throughout the music playing, the costumes worn and what the actors were doing.
I think Baz Lurhmann has stayed true to Shakespeare’s play as he kept the basis and the storyline the same but just layered the film with what was causing the feud between the families. When I read Shakespeare’s version of the first seventy lines, all I have is my imagination to see the facial expressions, movements, body language and tone of the characters but when watching Baz Lurhmann’s interpretation everything was bought to life, in a way which I think credits the words I first read.
