FORBIDDEN LOVE FOR THE 100TH TIME

“A plague on both your houses!”

At this point, the tragic love shared between two young adults from rival houses has been so thoroughly referenced and repeated throughout Western literary discourse that most of us know the general plot by osmosis alone. 

But while there is not very much left to discover anew regarding William Shakespeare’s original play, it does not mean there isn’t still value in the tale.

While we understand now that Shakespeare himself did not entirely come up with the narrative and its story beats, any reader of his text can tell you why it is his version that still reigns supreme. His incredible ability to weave abstract poetic metaphor into his dialogue is a skill that has remained unrivaled, even hundreds of years after his death.

This expertise shines particularly well in “Romeo and Juliet,” for obvious reasons: As bittersweet as it turns out, it is still a play in which romance takes the center stage. What better way to invoke romantic sentiment in an audience member than to tug at their proverbial heartstrings with words that seem to have sprung right off the most flowery of love letters?

It is this understanding of the production’s lasting legacy in the hearts of lovers everywhere that gives Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation “Romeo + Juliet” that concrete spirit.

Famously starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the respective titular characters, the film was met with praise at its release and remains a generally, fondly remembered adaptation.

Upon examining the work, one will understand why.

Often just as rambunctious as Luhrmann’s other works (such as 2001’s “Moulin Rouge!” and his 2013 adaptation of “The Great Gatsby”), Romeo + Juliet uses a mafia subculture-themed modern setting to tell its own version of the antiquated story. Fully embracing the camp that is sure to come with such a description, he wields his iconic use of zealous and dramatic zoom-in shots, focusing on details from all over a scene many, many times. He splashes primary color all over the new setting of “Verona Beach” (framed as an ambiguous but populated American beach town, a tribute to Shakespeare’s original setting of Verona, Italy), and is relentless in his new portrayal of old characters as much flashier and flamboyant ones.

At times, though, this often-scattered directorial style can make it easy for a viewer to be removed from the scene or the point in the narrative, potentially reflecting the production team’s possibly similar state of distraction during these particular moments.

Arguably, the boldest of Luhrmann’s choices in the film, however, is his decision to retain Shakespeare’s original dialogue. It is the brushstroke that highlights the rest of the movie entirely. Even though this literally means simply using already written prose, it somehow only adds personality and charm to the film. It serves the greatest example of the director’s immense admiration of the source material he is drawing upon.

Ultimately, of all the things that pop from Romeo + Juliet, without a doubt one the biggest is this grand devotion to Shakespeare’s classic stage play.

That veneration alone, emanating from every shot, is enough to warm a viewer’s perspective and it only helps that every other part of this movie tries its best to make sure that warmth stays within the heart for as long as possible. 

4.5/5

Advocate Staff