Modern setting and classical characters

I watched the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet, which was directed by Baz Luhrmann (Romeo+Juliet). It used the original language of Romeo and Juliet and decreased a few parts where the nurse or Romeo spoke too much. While the language mainly stays the same, the setting was totally different. It’s because this adaption of Romeo and Juliet was settled in a modernized city with some Hawaiian style clothes. Most part about the main characters, Romeo and Juliet, was kind of serious and classic. However, the others were kind of funny. The movie was great that I liked how the director settled in the language and the costumes of the main character while I didn’t like how the supporting roles so much.

First of all, the love between Romeo and Juliet was aesthetic that it could make anyone have an imagination with perfect love. However, the supporting characters destroyed the mood a lot. For example, in the balcony scene, I was immersed in how Romeo and Juliet told their love to each other, but the nurse came too fast to ruin everything. It was attractive to hear the young lovers’ deep love voice, but an incisive noise from the nurse sounded to scratch the whole sky came suddenly. There were lots of scenes that were similar to this one, and this was the only pity of the whole movie.

Despite the pitiful supporting characters of the movie, the other parts and the direction of the scenes seemed remarkable, especially the fish tank scene when Romeo and Juliet first met. Staying far away from the rumble and fancy ball, two people, both has the clearest and deepest eyes in the world, met each other. The eyes were truly similar, and I even didn’t know who was the one that I watched in to. The two people were similar that they both hate the noise world and walked to the only quiet corner of the room. Even though the suit of Romeo and the pure dress of Juliet were so different from the whole world in Verona, they were soul mate of each other.

Otherwise, I liked how Friar Lawrence reacted. He was one of the most important characters who helped Romeo and Juliet engaged and led them to their death, accidentally (Shakespeare). He believed in science and also believed in God. In the film, when he first came out, he was teaching the young boys with a crazy sight staring at the liquid on his hand. Also, he was crazy when he shouted at Romeo about Romeo’s changing love and shouted at Juliet when she lost her temper by knowing she needed to marry Paris. However, this crazy science person was also holy, when he hosted Romeo and Juliet’s engagement. The director perfectly mixed both of his identity together and made him to a vivid person.

To conclude, the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet was great. I wasn’t just attracted by the handsome Romeo and pretty Juliet, but also the whole design of the movie.

Citation:

"Romeo + Juliet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Washington Square Published by Pocket, 1992. Print.