Interpretation of the Balcony Scene by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli of William Shakespreare's Romeo and Juliet “Romeo and Juliet” is a famous love story written by William Shakespeare. Two interpretations were made of this text into a film by the two directors, Baz Luhrmann (1996) and Franco Zeffirelli (1968). The films use different types of media to portray the characters and the overall context of Shakespeare’s play. I will be focusing on Act two Scene ii (the balcony scene) where I will compare how the two directors use media in the films. In Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of the film we are introduced to a modern scene which makes it easier for the audience to understand and comprehend …show more content…
It triggers off when Romeo bumps into the statues and smashes them on the floor which makes the dogs bark and there is an addition of rustling leaves, these are some of the sound effects that have been used, which builds up tension and causes more of a scene. In action to this, Romeo climbs up the wall that leads to Juliet’s balcony in order to get to her. The camera shot used is a close up of Romeo to show his emotional distress that he is feeling. The statues in this scene represent Juliet as a goddess and that she is very important, this is a key fact to remember in Romeo’s eyes. This version is different to the text as Juliet does not say her famous lines from the balcony, but comes down from her room to the pool outside, where she recites her lines with passion thinking of her dear Romeo. In Zeffirelli’s account of the film, Romeo is shown down below in the bushes whereas Juliet is the higher and more powerful person out of the two of them, and she is shown as the higher person sitting on the balcony. Once again this has been showing the higher and lower and lower angle shots. It also shows a point of view camera shot throughout this scene, meaning that the film would be played throughout the character’s eyes, as if Romeo or Juliet were filming it themselves. This is done a lot in
Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic love story about two young lovers who are forced to be estranged as a result of their feuding families. The play is about their struggle to contravene fate and create a future together. As such, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would try and emulate Shakespeare’s masterpiece. This had been done before in many films. Prominent among them were, Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo and Juliet” and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.” Both films stay true to the themes of Shakespeare’s original play. However, the modernised Luhrmann film not only maintains the essence of Shakespeare’s writings, Luhrmann makes it relevant to a teenage audience. This is
William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of the tragic love between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. The play has been reinterpreted throughout time and Baz Luhrmann’s film version, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, uses a modern setting to tell the tale. Luhrmann’s cinematic understanding reinforces the key themes of love, fate and hate as he explores Shakespeare’s famous play.
Baz Lurhmann’s creation of the film Romeo and Juliet has shown that today’s audience can still understand and appreciate William Shakespeare. Typically, when a modern audience think of Shakespeare, they immediately think it will be boring, yet Lurhmann successfully rejuvenates Romeo and Juliet. In his film production he uses a number of different cinematic techniques, costumes and a formidably enjoyable soundtrack; yet changes not one word from Shakespeare’s original play, thus making it appeal to a modern audience.
One such scene was the infamous balcony scene. Zeferelli stuck to the classical interpretation, while Luhrmann did not. In Zeferelli’s version Juliet was on the balcony outside her bedroom calling rhetorically, "Romeo, Romeo where fore art thou Romeo?" Romeo appears and climbs up the balcony, and they share a couple of small kisses before he departs. However, in Luhrmanns version of the play, events occurred slightly differently. Juliet is walking by the pool, when Romeo startles her and they both fall in the pool. Their conversation then takes place in the pool. In between getting interrupted by a nosy security guard they share several passionate kisses.
Luhrman has based his version at Verona Beach; America and instead of basing it in the 16th century like Zeffirelli, he had his film based in the 20th century, with mansions, shiny cars and bright lights. While Zeffirelli paced his film in an Iambic pentameter – a traditional Shakespeare pace; Luhrman never kept his film at a solid pace. “By modernizing these aspects of the play, and reconstructing the prologue, Luhrmann creates a movie that is more interesting to the modern viewers.” ("Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet." 123HelpMe.com). As Zeffirelli may have believed famous actors would steal his show he instead hired fresh new faces to give the movie a more fresh, innocence value, But Luhrman used well known actors to play the lead roles. This worked because more people were attracted to the film by the actors.
“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”, as portrayed in Luhrmann’s 1997 film, reveals that the cause of love will always lead to the consequence of death. Luhrmann focuses on highlighting this connection through the usage of props, costumes, and symbols, the foreshadowing of Romeo’s and Juliet’s fate, and Romeo’s compassion for his friends and family throughout the film. These aspects of the film emphasize the connection of love and death and explore the harsh realities and truths relating to this connection.
Another reason I believe Luhrmann's interpretation was better is how he portrayed the nurse. The nurse in the play is a very comical and important character. Her strong bond with Juliet is shown in Luhrmann’s movie but in Zeffirelli's movie the bond seems weaker. Luhrmann I believe does a better job showing that the nurse cares for Juliet. However Luhrmann does cut out nurses more lengthy speech, but I believe it's for the best as the speech in my opinion was more confusing than helpful. The nurse in Zeffirelli's movie cares for Juliet but it didn't seem as sincere, they didn't have the same friendship shown in Luhrmann's. The nurse in the more modern movie I believe showed the relationship better while still keeping the comedy needed. I think
Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet has been reimagined many times across different mediums. One interpretation that stands out among the rest is Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film of the same name. The most shocking and powerful difference between Luhrmann’s work and other films or stage productions of this piece, is the movie’s setting. Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet is set in the modern city of Verona Beach, New York, ruled by two powerful business families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Themes, language, and ideas remain the same, while places, props, and wardrobes are updated to the twentieth century. This compelling change helps emphasize the violent, fast-paced, and chaotic society of the play, which comes to precipitate the tragic demise of the two main characters.
Comparison Between Act 3 Scene 1 in Franco Zeferelli's Romeo and Juliet and in Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet
Capturing the essence and importance in the scene providing a visual aid that matches with the theme of the play shown when Romeo climbs Juliet’s orchard wall to see her in the balcony, the film also is an attribute and an additional source to dismantle the doubt of another theme. If Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous love stories in literature then wouldn't it make sense for them to fight for their love no matter the cost. That’s what we all look up to in a relationship, for it to prosper no matter the obstacles it faces. Maybe this is why Romeo and Juliet is still being read today, 421 years after it was made. Since love having no boundaries is something we look up
him in a very similar shot to one in which we see Juliet from during
The play Romeo and Juliet is set in the Italian city of Verona, it is
a crowbar to open the tomb with, so he ends up using a stone to open
The iconic balcony scene from William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet has resulted in multiple interpretations of it. Some variations include Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, Gnomeo & Juliet, West Side Story, Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, and Warm Bodies.
However, Baz Luhrmann’s depiction of this scene in his movie contained more accurate actors and also kept some of the language true to the original play. The actors in Luhrmann’s play are closer to the ages of Romeo and Juliet than Zeffirelli’s actors. Luhrmann kept some of the original language of the play, however, most of it adapted to be more American. Zeffirelli’s film is a precise portrayal of the balcony scene.