Romeo and Juliet Opening

Romeo and Juliet

The prologue begins by telling us the setting of play, in a place called Verona which is in Italy. It is also described as “Fair Verona” to show that it is beautiful and exotic place. Line 1 tells us ''two households both alike in dignity'', from this statement we know that these families are rich and powerful. We later find that these two families are enemy. They also use the phrase “ancient grudge” which, this shows that these two families have been enemy from generations.

The prologue begins with a woman reading the story of Romeo and Juliet's love for one another. Before we see the newswoman there is a shot of a blank TV against a blank background. The TV is then switched on as though by a remote controlled by the viewer. This impression is further enhanced by a series of four clicks as the channels are changing. Luhrmann involves the viewer by doing this, as it is like we are looking for the channels then we see the news and we are drawn to listen to it. The woman's face is very pleasant but looks serious. This shows how serious the situation is and draws the viewers' attention to listen to the news. As she reads on, there is no sound heard in the background. This also draws the audience attention, as there is nothing to distract us.

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In petrol station of Verona Montagues and Capulets meets. A foolish Montague bites his thumb at a Capulet and a fight is about to break out when Benvolio (another Montague) tries to keep the peace and orders everyone to put up their guns (or swords as they are called in the film). However, when Tybalt arrives and Benvolio tells him that he wants to make peace (I do but keep the peace), Tybalt just sneers at him and replies, "Peace? I hate the word as I hate hell all Montagues and thee." This then leads to the long awaited fight, which not only affects the Montagues and Capulets, but also causes a lot of destruction to the city of Verona. The fight rapidly escalates as more citizens become involved and soon the heads of both households appear on the scene. At last, Prince Escalus arrives and stops the riot, forbidding any further outbreaks of violence on pain of death. After Escalus dismisses both sides, Montague and his wife discuss Romeo's recent melancholy behavior with Benvolio and ask him to discover its cause.

The clip is than zoomed to shot two huge building of Capulet and Montague with big Jesus Christ’s statue in the middle. They are equal in size and this refers to the statement in the prologue ''each household both alike in dignity''. It shows that both Capulet' and Montague' are equal in power as one another. Then there is a series of newspaper headlines that stress the prologue as the male voice reads. The male voice is serious, deep and solemn. This creates a serious mood for the audience. Luhrmann shows the audience how important these families are to be printed on the newspaper headline. The camera is moved from one place to other very fast when they show the quarrel between Montague and Capulet to make it more tensed and also to build tension.

Pictures of Romeo and Juliet's fathers are shown next to each other as the operatic music plays in the background. The picture shows that it is a patriarchal society. During Shakespeare's period men were in charge in society. The scenes of violence, suicide, riot and death act as a contrast to the ''fair Verona''. We expect it to be a very peaceful, charming place. The music creates a foreboding atmosphere which links to the images shown. The characters are shown in actions. For example, as the male voice says ''the faithful mind of these two foes'' we see the two families in their limousines with unhappy faces. This shows enmity and anger between the both families. Luhrmann introduces the actors by writing the characters name and the position they are playing and their position in the family or film instead of writing the actors names. Luhrmann has used a very effective and unique method in introducing his characters compared to most films in which the actors are introduced by their real name as well as the character they play.

In the ending of the prologue, montages of violent scenes are rapidly shown. During one of the clips, a helicopter flies over Verona giving us very quick views of the city below. This creates a shaky disorientated image of the city. The audience have a feeling of being on board the helicopter looking down. As the montage progresses to the end, the operatic music playing in the background becomes louder until it reaches a climax. Luhrmann has compressed many section of the film in a short space of time.

In one of the clips, we also see a little choirboy singing, and then a shot of Juliet as she unveils, dressed in white wedding dress in a church. This little boy signifies innocence and the church suggest religious setting as well as the little boy.

The noisy, riotous gunfire creates a picture of city in turmoil. Police officers armed with guns and fire around the area gives us the impression that Verona is not safe and there is a lot of violence. The fire symbolises anger and hatred, - a theme that runs through the ''Romeo and Juliet'' play. In one of the scenes, as the choirboy opens his mouth to sing, a clip of someone shooting a gun is shown.

As the prologue ends there is a large cross icon in red with white stripes, which becomes smaller and the text ''Romeo and Juliet'' is shown. The cross replaces the word ''and'' in the text. The red colour of the cross symbolises death. The images in the prologue are like a trailer of what will happen in the film.

Phupu Chhongel Lama Sherpa