Comparing Luhrmann's The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a story about the tragic deaths of two young star- crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet were born to feuding families in Verona. They met at a Capulet party and fell in love without knowing their families were enemies. A whirlwind of emotion came into play when Romeo killed Juliet’s cousin out of rage and was banished from the city limits. Juliet was then thought to be dead, so Romeo killed himself out of grief in Juliet’s arms. She woke up and found him lying dead then killed herself to be with him. In Romeo and Juliet, there is a recurring theme of how spontaneous the minds of young adults are conveyed best in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation (1996) because of his casting choices, character development, and modernization.

When the film was shot, both actors’ looked very youthful. DiCaprio and Danes’ youthful looks contributed to make the story line more believable because they fit the description of young and compulsive. The adolescent brain is scientifically proven to be very spontaneous throughout its developmental stages. In the movie, after Romeo is exiled Juliet can’t bear being without Romeo. She says, “Be not so long to speak; I long to die” (Luhrmann). Juliet in her juvenile distressed state, plays true with Danes portraying the lines. Readers may believe that Shakespeare made these characters spontaneous because of how intense their love is, but it is because of his personal observations that makes it work. Seeing DiCaprio and Danes fall in love, marry, and then take their own lives on the screen becomes more believable because of the actor’s