Baz Luhrmann’s appropriation “Romeo and Juliet” Essay

Baz Luhrmanns film, Romeo and Juliet, is really successful as an appropriation of the original play by Shakespe ar. Transforming the pre-16th atomic number 6 play into a coeval popular culture film was done creatively by retention the same values and language, but changing the context. This is illustrated by the use of anachronisms. For instance, daggers and swords are re located by guns as headspring as cars stand in for horses. The disputes between members of the two families (the Capulets and the Montagues) evoke associations with multi-ethnic plurality warfare. Their feud reflects the doings of mafia families. Using these modernising ele workforcets, he achieves an appeal to the contemporary teenage audience and the changes in the film make up a more comprehensible meaning to the audience because mass can relate to it better and this is why the film is so engaging.The film is set in a modern day city where craze occurs regularly. In the opening scene, a television scree n is in view and a news reporter is talking. This immediately allows commonwealth to realise the time period which the film is set in. Then at that place is a sequence of scenes which includes shots of scenery, people fighting, newspaper articles and loud string music is played in the background. There is a lot of editing and cutting in this sequence which makes it move very fast. The next scene is where the Montague gang is at the petrol station. Loud upbeat music is played in the background. The loud music and burnished coloured costumes represent the life of this city. The use of guns and convertible cars contribute to the contemporary atmosphere. The film techniques include victimization a handheld camera which creates a realistic effect.This is used in the sequence of different shots where there is fire and helicopters and guns. The reason why it is so realistic is because the quality of the shot and the way it is presented make it be like something that would be seen on th e news. But the words that appear between the shots, for example, In fair Verona and a pair of star-crossd lovers take their life is taken from the play so it is Shakespearean language. The text is placed with contemporary visual graphics, yet they do non clash together. The effect of this is that people do non take their attention away when they are presented with language that they may not completely catch. Instead, they can impute the text and the sequence together.Also, the characterisation used in the film is done well to add to the contemporary atmosphere. For example, the Montague gang is not presented as well-be constituted servants. Instead, they are loud, extrovert, and outrageous. Paris is bachelor of the year instead of macrocosm a kinsman of a prince type figure. No one in the film is presented as a precedent of a perfect citizen. The Capulet gang wears Hawaiian shirts, one even unbuttoned to reveal their bare chest. They have more rebellious styles of hair pink, shaved and bleached. Luhrmann uses the images of the families to make one appear submissive and docile opus the other is unscrupulous and aggressive. The Capulets have quite clearly been portrayed as the baddies of the story. The reason why Luhrmann have done this is to portray the typical villain occasion, which is given to the Capulet gang. In Shakespeares time, homosexual men were not accepted in the society and different ethnic groups did not mix together.In the film, Mercutio is a homosexual and as well black, and in todays society the different sexuality and race are accepted. Even the master of the household, Mr. Capulet, is not perceived as an archetypal wealthy and noble character. The priest is also not a typical Christian and he would have been a controversial character if he was presented during Shakespeares time. Also, Baz Luhrmann has chosen two beautiful, blonde hair and blue eyed actors to play the part of Romeo and Juliet. This makes their role idealistic. All of the characters in the film are not refined, as they would have been in the play. This is a reflection of todays culture and the audience can relate to the film better. And because of this, the dialogue impart not affect the audience too much and they would still be able to follow along with the storyline.Although the characterisation of the film is quite different from the characterisation of the play, Baz Luhrmann has kept the original values and issues and has presented them well in the film. The issue of peace and order is presented with the police captain talking to the Capulets and the Montagues in a conference room. erstwhile again, Luhrmann has used elements of todays culture in the film to replace the existing culture in the play. The police are used to deal with justice and punishment instead of the prince. The characters godliness is very important in the film and the crucifix is asymbol that is used. Romeo and Juliet get married in the church where they are accompanie d by the priest and a chorus. The large statue that reoccurs in many scenes is a religious figure and inside the building, where Juliet lays on her deathbed, is filled with crosses and candles. All of these elements make up a very observable fact that religion is, to a great extent, acknowledged in the film. Luhrmann has made the values and issues embossed in the play more distinctive in the film by using these modernized elements.A change in the context of the play also add to the modern atmosphere. A creative recitation of the original text is used, when Luhrmann turns the Queen Mab speech, which Romeo gets from Mercutio onwards they go to the Capulets party, into an Ecstasy pill. Furthermore he leaves a few text-passages out by presenting it visually. In a few cases he even changes Shakespeares plot. This becomes overt when Juliet awakes before Romeo has died. This differs from Shakespeares original text. With the use of special film-techniques, Luhrmann achieves a dramatisat ion of the scene. In the scene when Juliet awakes before Romeo has drank the poison, the change of the plotline results to a more astonished reaction from the audience, as they would be expecting the clichd ending, which is the one in the original play.Baz Luhrmanns film is very successful as an appropriation of the original play not only because of his creative ways in modernizing the play, but because the film itself can make one understand the extremeness of the situation in the storyline. That is, in the original play, horses and swords were used in the battles and when people read the play, they may not realise how severe and dangerous the circumstances are because there are too many diachronic references to swords and horses that it has lost its effectiveness. But in the film, Luhrmann has used fire, guns, cars, and explosions to emphasise the seriousness of the situation. People are more well-known(prenominal) with this sort of violence because it is seen in the media and t herefore it will appear more realistic to them. And the sentiment that people may obtain will be more practical and dynamic. This is why the film is so successful, it compels people to understand the original play a lot better.