![]() Picture Romeo amidst a soliloquy – “ But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” – while Radiohead blasts through a convertible’s speakers equipped with a dazzling “Montague” license plate. But do not fret, Luhrmann’s retelling does not completely abandon Shakespeare’s image of the story though the 1996 Friar is essentially the town drug dealer and the Capulet-Montague castles are traded for luxury hotels by the pier, the entire script follows Shakespeare’s vernacular almost verbatim. After directing The Get Down, a 70’s drama produced through Netflix, one can tell Luhrmann is no stranger to theatrics, which explains why Romeo + Juliet traded daggers for nine millimeters, horses for Pontiacs, and 16th century Western European clothing for leather attire and button up shirts á la Tommy Bahama. In Luhrmann’s world, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes take on the titular roles, portraying a deeply tortured Romeo and utterly inconsolable Juliet within the parameters of a Venice Beach-inspired Verona. After much deliberation, I present the Montague and Capulet to end all Montagues and Capulets: Baz Luhrmann and his 1996 reinvented tragedy, Romeo + Juliet. Something Shakespeare would have never imagined, however, is how our final adaptation enriches this tale to an incomprehensible level with the natural spunk of the 90s and a gentle displacement of the scenery. I would also like to note the brilliance behind Zeffirelli’s Friar Laurence, played Milo O’Shea he beautifully emulated the role of a manipulative low-life just as William, himself, would have wanted. Zeffirelli’s animation of Shakespeare’s depictions withstands the test of time, preserving the effects of the impressive scenery and costume design even half a century later. ![]() Stepping up to the plate is Franco Zeffirelli‘s 1968 recreation of Verona, often regarded as the “first” and “most significant” Romeo and Juliet adaptation. Posting unmarked spoilers will result in removal and warning, and posting spoilers with malicious intent will result in a ban.Don’t get me wrong, Olivia Hussey’s Juliet outperformed any and every Juliet Capulet to come, but there remains something about the compatibility between Hussey and counterpart Romeo, played by Leonard Whiting, that simply leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Please report posts containing spoilers unless they are hidden using the following method or are inside a thread clearly labeled as containing spoilers. If you want to promote without participating in the community, purchase an ad. For more information, see the self-promotion on reddit FAQ. Some promotional submitting (posting your own projects, articles, etc.) is permitted, but it must be balanced out by a much greater level of non-promotion participation in reddit - the rule of thumb is no more than 10% of your submissions may be promotional. Promotion must be kept within acceptable limits.Follow all specific content restrictions.No off-topic or low-effort content or comments.No personal attacks, witch hunts, bigotry, or inflammatory language.No content primarily for humor or entertainment. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |