William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

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Riley R Headline: “Shakespeare on Speed: Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet Dazzles and Divides” 
Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 alteration of Romeo + Juliet, available on Amazon Prime and Youtube, is a disheveled, colorful redefining of Shakespeare's emotional romance. This play is just under two hours long. The play switches swords for guns, Verona for a stylish modern city girl, and Renaissance clothes for Hawaiian shirts. All while making sure to keep the original Shakespeare dialogue. The outcome is a whirlwind of emotions that feels more like a fever dream than a traditional film. Many viewers have different opinions on this reimagination of Romeo + Juliet, some love it or hate it, it depends on your views. 
 Two performances control the film, Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet. DiCaprio, right out of his Titanic rise, brings an intensity to Romeo that fits the character emotionally. He conveyed Shakespeare very well, though sometimes felt a little rushed. Though his famous “Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set…” speech at Juliet’s balcony is both vulnerable and heartfelt, reminding us of the character’s youthful emotions. Claire Danes, on the other hand, finds a way to ground Juliet with a new honestly. Her performance was emotionally intelligent and surprisingly calm, in a film that is usually a tear-jerker. She makes the dialogue easier with a clear and natural rhythm, especially in serious scenes that are about her family and her tragic reunion with Romeo. Supporting performances, like John Leguizamo’s Tybalt and Harold Perrineau’s flamboyant Mercutio, add theatrical energy; they fit the film’s operatic tone.
 Luhrmann’s direction is anything but subtle. Known for his energetic styles in films such as Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, Luhrmann stages Romeo + Juliet like a music video mixed with television. The editing is very high- strung, and the visual symbolism is overwhelming. Knowing that, his choices reflect an attempt to translate Shakespeare for a more modern audience raised on MTV and gun violence. Luhrmann also makes many smart decisions that clarify the narrative: the opening news begins with the reading of the prologue like a breaking story sets the tone. Also, the visual cues like costume colors (Montagues in blue, Capulets in red) help guide the viewer through the chaos. He doesn’t lighten the tragedy either in the final scene, where Juliet wakes up just seconds too late to save Romeo, lands with tragic impact. It’s melodramatic, yes, but the emotion is real and serious. 
 The film’s production design is arguably its most special feature. Catherine Martin, Luhrmann’s collaborator and the film’s production and costume designer, creates a visual world that feels timeless yet based in 1990s pop culture. Verona Beach is neon-drenched and full of religious iconography, crumbling cathedrals, and billboards. The use of Catholic imagery (crosses, angel wings, stained glass) reinforces the story’s themes of fate, sin, and sacrifice. The music choices from Radiohead’s emotional “Exit Music (For a Film)” to the energetic chaos of “Young Hearts Run Free” are intentionally traditional but emotionally placed with the characters’ inner personalities. The score by Craig Armstrong is both broad and intimate, helping keep the gap between Shakespearean tragedy and modern melodrama. 
 This film has a lot of emotions for me. It’s loud, fast, overwhelming, and not for Shakespeare lovers. But as a more modern version to reframe the old for a new generation, it does a great job in being both innovative and emotionally powerful. However, when the film slows down, especially during the intimate moments between Romeo and Juliet, it captures something inspirational about love, youth, and loss. Personally, I really enjoyed this modern version of Romeo + Juliet. It’s not perfect, and the editing occasionally gets in the way of the performances. Also, the hyper-stylization can make the language seem unclear. But when the film slows down, especially in the lovers’ quieter scenes, it captures the powerful intimacy that makes Romeo and Juliet timeless no matter what version it's in. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/06/25 Full Review Audience Member If you enjoy a bit of humour and a spin on a Shakespearean classic, this is brilliant! The acting is top notch from all the cast, and i like how they didn't change the script to fit the time, so you had people in the late 90s talking like they're in the 1500s. i found that hilarious. its such a large juxtaposition that it works. Top class from Baz. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/13/25 Full Review thiago s Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é bacaninha, mas quase ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens sao até fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Evangaline E The most stupidest movie ever never watch it DONT WATCH Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/14/25 Full Review Blu : this film was beyond dumb 😭😭 Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/12/25 Full Review Nimal C I am officially appalled at the lack of care for Shakespeare's great work. This scrappy, rushed excuse for a film strips all the emotional depth and intimacy of Shakespeare's play. Firstly I must discuss the acting. It feels like the actors are reading off a sheet in front of the camera, devoid of any humanism that these characters beg for. Most of the fight scenes are overdone and comical, prompting more of an unintentional comedy than a play. Leonardo di Caprio and Clare Dane's acting, while still quite sub-par, far outweighs any efforts of the other 'actors' in this saddeningly bad production. Secondly I will take a look at the visuals. Or should I say I would rather not take a look at the visuals. The production team for this film were clearly on a strict budget. The eye-wateringly grainy camera quality mixed with a confused grasp (or not so) on the speed of camera angle switching. Many a time was I left with no clue of what just happened on my screen due to the blurry and fast moving graphics. Just pathetic in general. Finally, I will look at the soundtrack. Oh god. Would have been better done by a three year old left with a computer and a script. I don't quite know what possessed these production crew(s) to put such disjointed and inappropriate music on the film. Jumping from an intimate love scene underscored by what should be old medieval music (lyre, flute, harp maybe) we hear a butchered children's choir followed by a gun-ho rock mashup better suited to Hot Fuzz than romeo and juliet. Total defamation to one of the best love stories ever written. In conclusion, this film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" misses the mark like Romeo missing Juliet’s balcony on a foggy night after a few martinis. With performances so lackluster they could put a sloth to sleep, visuals that seem like they were designed by a toddler on a sugar high, and a soundtrack that sounds like it was assembled from a broken jukebox, it feels less like a celebration of love and more like a chaotic circus where the clowns forgot their lines. It’s truly disheartening to see such a classic reduced to a spectacle that leaves true fans of the play more heartbroken than Romeo when he found out he wasn’t going to get a sequel! Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/11/25 Full Review Read all reviews

William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

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