As the montage is flashing on the screen, the music that Luhrmann uses is powerful and orchestral. The music is timed to fit in with the shots. As the shots get faster, the music gets faster and louder. I think this is successful because it adds to the tension which has already been built up.
After the montage, the opening scene starts with modern music and the Montague boys in their car. The film freezes on a long shot of them and says ‘The Montague boys’ next to them. Throughout the scene, Luhrmann uses this technique to introduce the two ‘gangs’, the Capulet boys, Abra, Benvolio and Tybalt. This shows the audience that they are enemies. I think this is successful because it builds up tension as the audience await the confrontation.
During the fight, the camera flash pans between the faces of the Montagues and Capulets as they fight and argue at the petrol station. Between close-ups of their faces, there is fast cutting which increases the audience’s excitement and shows how quickly the action is happening. I think this is successful because it makes the scene fast-paced and exciting.
The fight begins when Tybalt enters the scene. The music changes to Western-style cowboy music. This shows the audience that there will be a fight. Luhrmann then introduces slow motion to illustrate certain aspects of Tybalt’s character. Firstly we see a cigarette being lit up, then a match being ground out on the floor. Later in the scene, slow motion is used again as Tybalt shoots at the Montague’s retreating car. This tells the audience that Tybalt is a very threatening character; and that he is a deadly gunfighter, as he could hit his target from a long distance.
Throughout the entire scene, the characters are dressed in very modern clothes. However, the two ‘gangs’ are dressed very differently. The Montagues are dressed in Hawaiian shirts with the buttons open. On the other hand, the Capulets are wearing cowboy clothes with Catholic images on them. This shows the audience that the Montagues are a lot more casual and laid-back than the Capulets. I think this is very successful because immediately you can tell who is on which side.
When Romeo is introduced into the scene, we can see that he is different to any other character. Firstly, he is the only Montague wearing a suit. This communicates to the audience that he is a lot more serious than the rest of the Montagues. The soundtrack also changes when he is introduced; it becomes slow music. This shows the audience how he is feeling. As Romeo writes in a book, there is a voiceover saying what he is writing. “O brawling love, O loving hate, O anything of nothing first create.” This makes the audience hear what he is thinking. I think all of this is a successful way of introducing Romeo, because it is a contrast of how Luhrmann introduced the other characters. This shows the audience that he is a philosophical character.
In the opening of this film, Luhrmann intended to show a thoroughly modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play. The scene engaged the audience because, although Shakespeare’s language is used, the way the action is presented makes the young audience take interest. I think this matched up to Luhrmann’s vision because even though he made slight changes to the play, he made a thoroughly modern, dramatic and exhilarating film which got young people interested in Shakespeare.