Analyse the way in which Baz Luhrmann interprets themes, characters and language during the opening scene of "Romeo and Juliet".
Romeo and Juliet is a timeless, classic, love story written by William Shakespeare. The play masterfully tells the tragic love story of two "star-cross"d lovers" Romeo and Juliet. The title characters are members of two feuding families, Romeo a Montague and Juliet a Capulet. .
Baz Luhrmann uses his own ideas to adapt Shakespeare's original version of "Romeo and Juliet" to one that he is able to successfully bring to a new and younger audience. .
The original version of "Romeo and Juliet" was written in the 1600's and set in Elizabethan England. Baz Luhrmann's version of one of Shakespeare's most loved plays portrays the classic story in a modern day setting. Luhrmann chose Verona Beach as the setting for his adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet".
"A sexy violent other world neither future or past" (Taken from an interview with Baz from a review website) .
Verona Beach was Luhrmann's own created world, a place based on decaying Miami and Mexico City.
The prologue is cleverly updated and modernised by being displayed on television as a news report. As the words are said they flash up on screen in white on a black background which creates a sombre and intimidating atmosphere. The camera cuts between this and scenes of Verona Beach and is accompanied by dramatic music. The director appears to use this technique to create suspense and tension and to keep the viewer's attention. This scene is ironic as after "In fair Verona" flashes up on the screen there is a fast camera shot to the city where the image is one of chaos, disorder and violence. Police helicopters are circling noisily above a fight scene which suggests "fair Verona" is not fair at all. The images shown relate to the words in the Prologue, which is yet another way in which Baz has tried to update and modernize his version of "Romeo and Juliet".