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Directorial interpretation of romeo and juliet
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Romeo and Juliet, the widely acclaimed tragedy written by the admired playwright, William Shakespeare, is considered to be the most famous of his plays. The fact that it has been adapted in countless films and ingrained in modern media all over the world is testament to it’s popularity. The story of Romeo and Juliet tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers in Verona, Italy, and their untimely deaths due to their families’ feuds. Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann both directed very different cinematic adaptations of Romeo and Juliet through character portrayal and setting. The character Juliet, who is the main female protagonist in the story, is a young, innocent, and naive thirteen-year-old girl, according to Shakespeare’s text. Baz …show more content…
In Zeffirelli’s (1967) film, Juliet was played by Olivia Hussey, who was just fifteen at the time; in Luhrmann’s (1996) Romeo+Juliet, she was played by seventeen-year-old Claire Danes. Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s original text also shared charming amounts of chemistry and character development. Arguably, Zeffirelli’s film did a better job of interpreting this between actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting (Romeo) than Luhrmann did between Claire Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio (Romeo). Finally, the emotion showed by Olivia Hussey’s innocent acting was exuberant and natural compared to Claire Danes stiffer composure. Olivia Hussey’s portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1967) gives a clear and impressionable interpretation of Shakespeare’s original …show more content…
First, in the scene where Juliet first meets Romeo at a party, Olivia Hussey’s acting and clever facial expressions tell us she is surprised and innocent contrary to Claire Danes drier acting and lack of facial expression. One scene, when it is revealed Juliet’s cousin Tybalt has been slain at the hands of Romeo profusely displays the difference in acting between Olivia Hussey and Claire Danes. Olivia as Juliet has a dilemma with herself and cries because she does not know whether she made the right choice of marrying Romeo as he has just killed her cousin. Conversely, Claire cries stiffly as a voiceover of Juliet’s lines from the original text play. Consequently, Olivia Hussey’s facial expressions and her display of emotion plays a more substantial role in the interpretation of Shakespeare’s original text than Claire
Romeo and Juliet is a play about two lovers who have to risk their lives in order to demonstrate their love and will to stay together, regardless the feud between their families. By the end, the death of Romeo and Juliet finally bring the reconciliation to these two families. It is fate that the two most shall-not meet people fall in love and it love that eventually won against hatred. Since then, there have been many different versions of Romeo and Juliet, whether it was for film, stage, musicals. These different recontextualised adaptions change the original play by many ways, some modernise the language, environment, props as well as changing the original characteristics of some characters. Out of all the different adaptions of Romeo and Juliet, two stood out the most. One was the Romeo and Juliet (1996) and directed by Baz Luhrmann and the other one was Romeo and Juliet Broadway (2013) play version,
Romeo and Juliet presents an ongoing feud between the Montague and Capulet families whose children meet and fall in love. Markedly, the meeting scene depicting love at first sight continues to be praised by today’s critics. Romeo and Juliet then receive the label of star-crossed lovers whose tragic demise is written in the stars. In fact, Shakespeare 's work is well received and its numerous adaptations have made it one of his most enduring and notorious stories. The cinematic world brings to the screens a disastrous approach by Baz Luhrmann to do the play justice. A glance at Baz Luhrmann’s productions allows audiences to assume he delivers movies which are unlike those of any other filmmaker today, or perhaps ever. Therefore, blending a delicate
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.
The movie, “Romeo Must Die”, is an action packed drama that adapts William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” into a more modern perspective with a twist that deviates from the original plot. Han Sing, played by the actor Jet Li, resembles Romeo, where as Trish O’Day, played by the actress Aaliyah, resembles Juliet. Fate causes them to meet when Trish jumps into the taxi Han hi-jacks. As Han is in search of the person that killed his brother, he learns that Trish may have a connection and begins to pursue her.
“The most filmed of all plays, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, with its universal themes… remains uniquely adaptable for any time period,” (Botnick, 2002). Directors Franco Zeffirelli (1968) and Baz Luhrman (1996) provide examples of the plays adaption to suit the teenage generation of their time. Identifying the key elements of each version: the directors intentions, time/place, pace, symbols, language and human context is one way to clearly show how each director clearly reaches their target audience. Overall however Luhrman’s adaptation would be more effective for capturing the teenage audience.
Romeo & Juliet (1968) was originally a play that was written by William Shakespeare, but as time progressed, plays became less popular and films became more popular. In 1968, Franco Zefirelli directed the film Romeo & Juliet that was nominated and won fifteen awards. Some of these awards are two Oscars, three Golden Globes, and five Silver Ribbon Awards. Romeo & Juliet is a romantic tragedy about forbidden love between two young teens whose families despise one another (CITE). Juliets family is referred to as “the Capulets”, and Romeo’s family are “the Montagues” (CITE). Zefirelli uses lighting and framing to capture the audience’s attention and design to reflect that the Capulets and Montagues during the Medieval time era. Meanwhile, he portrays
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 done through the renewal of props and costumes, the reconstruction of the prologue and the upgrading of the setting, whilst preserving the original Shakespearean language. Out of the two, it is Luhrmann who targets Romeo & Juliet to a younger audience to a much larger extent than Zeffirelli.
Interpretation of the Balcony Scene by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. “Romeo and Juliet” is a famous love story written by William Shakespeare. The. 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.
The environment surrounding the star-crossed lovers in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can influence audiences who may interpret the scenes in different ways. The audience can be greatly affected in their interpretation of the story by the mise-en-scene, costuming, and the hidden symbolic meaning. This great piece of literature was edited in two unique and intriguing forms, one Zeferelli directed which was filmed in 1968, and the modern version produced in 1996. The different scenes throughout the length of the party were the most influential to me in that I saw how different these movies were directed, and the different meaning I experienced from watching these movies. Focusing on the environment of the scenes and the costuming helped me in my interpretation, because I found hidden symbolism in these two qualities.
“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name;” (Shakespeare, 536). In the book, ‘Romeo and Juliet”, by William Shakespeare there is a deeper meaning that Shakespeare is trying to portray other than parents cannot control their children’s hearts. He is trying to portray that a name is only a name and it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things and that even with a different name that person will still be the same person they have always been. Shakespeare is using the characters: Juliet, Romeo, Lord Capulet, Friar Lawrence, and the Nurse to get this message across to the reader or the viewer.
One of the most celebrated plays in history, “Romeo and Juliet”, was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It is a story about two lovers that have to meet in secret because of an ongoing family feud. Tragically, because of their forbidden love Romeo and Juliet take their lives so they can be together. In 1997, a movie was adapted from the play “Romeo and Juliet”, directed by Baz Lurhmann. However, as alike as the movie and the play are, they are also relatively different.
Romeo and Juliet, the two cross lovers, who brought raging commotion to their families, finally saved the feud peacefully by their own death. Romeo and Juliet, lovers by fate, change importantly due to love's grievousness; with their families at war both decided to keep their love secretly for the sake of rivalry, but however, their love for one another causes a tragic incident at the end of the book. The two “star-crossed” lovers change significantly throughout the book from young and slow to full common sense and maturity. Juliet, a bracing protagonist in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, has an effective determination to be with the one she loves no matter the damage it would cause.
William Shakespeare has provided some of the most brilliant plays to ever be performed on the stage. He is also the author of numerous sonnets and poems, but he is best known for his plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. In this essay I would like to discuss the play and movie, "Romeo and Juliet", and also the movie, Shakespeare in Love. The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is set in the fictional city of Verona. Within the city lives two families, the Capulets and the Montegues, who have been feuding for generations.
Casting includes Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo and Juliet as well as great performances by John Leguizamo (Tybalt) and, Harold Perrineau (Mercutio). Danes brings life to the character of Juliet and reaches far beyond the subservient stereotype of most Elizabethan characters with her ambition and assertion, although she sometimes sounds like a schoolgirl reading lines aloud for a teacher. DiCaprio is not quite as polished and in some scenes you may find him off-hand and whiny, however he manages to capture the depth and thoughtfulness associated with Romeo.
The movie “Shakespeare in Love” shows the business process of theater, along with Shakespeare’s struggles in his career and love life. Shakespeare in Love is a fictional account of the life that inspired the play Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the movie there are scenes, which you can relate to modern times comical irony devious behavior manipulation and how everything does not matter in the case of love. The story is perfect and ties together all the parts of the actual play and what may have really happened to the life of Shakespeare. The writers produced an imaginative romantic comedy in the style of Shakespeare that is very believable. They bring the viewer along for a fictitious account of what may have motivated Shakespeare to write one of the greatest plays of all times. This film captures the coarseness and bawdiness of the period as well as its soaring poetry. It places Shakespeare’s world in a modern context and makes it accessible, without diminishing the impact of his words.