How successfully does Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet represent Shakespeare's original themes and ideas and why is it so popular with young audiences?

        Then the next scene is at a petrol station where we the rival gangs, the Montague’s and the Capulet’s they meet at a petrol station, the Montague family are represented as loud, colourful hooligans they are reckless and play loud hip-hop rap-metal music, drive a colourful bright drop top car. But the Capulet’s are represented are represented as stylish, fearless, not scared, asking for trouble, skilled they show power, very serious, sinister, very mafia like, religious they pendants and crosses in the hair, they show authority and like to scare, they drive open top cars, dark blue to show how serious they are, tinted windows, western style music very serious, they are not out to have fun. When they start to quarrel, the Montagues start to stutter and get worried they don’t want a fight, whereas the Capulets are cool, calm and collective. The Montagues are scared they show fear; there is a lot of fast shots to show this fear. There are lots of close ups on the Capulets, their facial expressions shows there strength and how fearless and prepared they seem to be. They show their authority a lot of slow motion as they pass the camera. Benvolio seems to be in charge but is reluctant he knows what he is doing, but doesn’t seem to want to, he gives the impression that managing a fight is a choir.         

In the next scene there is a party. The Montagues sneak into a party held by the Capulets with the help of a friend of both families Mercutio. They are all happy and on drugs, there is a lot of colourful lights, swirling around, the Montagues are not themselves, shout a lot, we move on to the party, every one is dressed up, there are a lot of fast moving camera shots and people moving around this also gives us the impression that drugs have been taken. They are all wearing costumes, Juliet’s mum is dressed as Cleopatra and her husband is dressed as Caesar these both represent power and leaders, authority. Abra is dressed as a skeleton and Tybalt is dressed as the devil, these both represent evil and death. Mercutio is dressed as a woman a transvestite with lipstick and high heels this may represent him being with both families neither one nor the other. Paris who is meant to marrying Juliet, He is dressed differently (an astronaut) because he is not with either families and there fore doesn’t belong to any group. Juliet is dressed as an angel; this is supposed to represent Juliet as lovely and beautiful. Romeo is her ‘knight in shining armour’. The close ups we see are of people dancing it flashes forwards and backwards, they are smiling, sweating and look as if they are on drugs, people swing past. The main close ups are of Romeo and Juliet’s faces following each other at the fish tank.

        During the party scene there is a lot of strobe lighting, flashing camera shots this shows a lot of Hallucination. It stops. We see Romeo’s face under water, tranquil music is playing, we a lot of blue. There is now a love interest; there is a lot of blue to represent love. The editing is slow to represent love where they meet isn’t very long but it seems longer time is slowed down, this is due to the slow editing and movement of camera shots. The music here is slow and there are fish to represent tranquillity and love. They move back into the party loud music again until Romeo realises that Juliet is a Capulet, here there are two pieces of music overlapping the serious music is to represent his mood and the vibrant music of the party.

        In the end scene where Romeo Finds Juliet and thinks she’s dead he goes to see her. We know he is going to commit suicide and it gets a bit frustrating, the music here is soft and serious, there were flash backs to the funeral, the scene is quite long winded which adds to the tension and makes it more dramatic. There are a lot of close ups at both Romeo and Juliet. The editing here is slow and the cameras only have to focus on Romeo and Juliet. As Juliet awakes we see Romeo drink the poison they close up on his face it shows a lot of terror and pain he realises that she is awakening, Juliet doesn’t know he is dying but soon her face changes from good to worse. You don’t seem to notice the music playing as its quite and soft. Romeo dies and eventually Juliet fully realises what’s happened she is sad and angry and is turning suicidal she grabs Romeos gun and shoots herself. The scene ends with them laying side by side, this scene is very dramatic and has a lot of suspense but it is quite annoying.

        The use of media within the film is very important, it is there to give us a sense of something familiar with all the Shakespearean language. A lot of media is hidden inside the film, the intro with the TV screen and the news report setting the scene for us, when they are at the pool house, there’ a television informing us of a party, leading us towards the next scene. Media is there to keep the film flowing and stopping it from getting to complicated.

         I think that Baz Luhrmann has been very successful with this film it’s a good adaptation of Shakespeare’s original it still uses the Shakespearean language, and keeps to the same themes without changing or ruining the plot. Mr. Luhrmann has managed to modernise the play and turn it into a film. Reasons for his success are that it’s popular with a young audience and not just keeping to one specific audience it appeals to many, which is what makes a good film. It has a lot of gun violence, young actors and actresses, they are good looking, sex scenes, lots of action a modern setting, fast loud music, its own originality, appealing styles, good fast editing and visual effects all contribute to appealing a wide a varied audience, he also keeps to the religious aspect of the play during the petrol station scene Baz fits in a total of twelve symbols and referencing to religion. Baz Luhrmann has successfully made a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet.