William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
by Baz Luhrmann
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Claire Danes, Harold Perrineau, John Leguizamo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Pete PostlethwaiteDirector: Baz Luhrmann
Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
Producer: Baz Luhrmann
Writer: Baz Luhrmann
Producer: Catherine Martin
Producer: Gabriella Martinelli
Producer: Jill Bilcock
Writer: Craig Pearce
Writer: William Shakespeare
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 120 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-01-14
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
Movie Review: I think Shakespeare needs a drink
Summary: 2 Stars
As a mild reader of Shakespeare, I have seen filmed adaptations of only Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo & Juliet. Even though there are a few flaws attached to these movies, I still found them enjoyable, except for one. Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet is one that I can't really adore. The entire film is bloated with an overly stylish look and a modernization that looks to have gone too far. First off, I will say that hearing Shakespearean dialogue in a completely modern setting is very awkward. It really confuses the tone of the film: it's like hearing the dialogue from the Lord of the Rings trilogy in a contemporary sports drama. Old and new doesn't work well here. The lack of accents are even worse. Most of these actors sound odd when reciting the text, mainly because they don't have the perfect voices for it. I may be a bit picky, but hearing Shakespeare from modern characters sounds strange. The script could have at least had some contemporary phrases added in. The biggest problem I have with this movie, however, is the excessive style. The Capulet scene especially is overstuffed with colorful costumes and sets, and some dizzying camerawork. The melodrama in the quieter scenes are so overdone that they're actually silly. The heartbreaking ending is slightly over-the-top, but at least it's done quite well. Nonetheless, a majority of this film is a spectacle of style-over-substance, and I don't think Shakespeare would be pleased with it if ever he were alive to see it.
Maybe I'm just not a fan of Luhrmann. I've seen his other film, Moulin Rouge!, and I dislike it for some of the same reasons I dislike Romeo + Juliet. I do like the music and the supporting cast, but I don't care about everything else in the movie.
Grade: D
Summary of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
Baz Luhrmann's dazzling and unconventional adaptation of William Shakespear's classic love story is spellbinding. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes portray Romeo and Juliet, the youthful star-crossed lovers of the past. But the setting has been moved from it's Elizabethan origins to the futuristic urban backdrop of Verona Beach.Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom) takes a shot at reinventing Shakespeare's story of star-crossed lovers as a visual pastiche inspired by MTV imagery, Hong Kong action-picture clich?s, and Luhrmann's own taste for deliberate, gaudy excess. The result is explosive chaos, both in terms of bullets and visual sensibility, which some may find impossible to stick with for more than a few minutes. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the leads, though not with much distinction, while Pete Postlethwaite makes a huge impression as this movie's version of Friar Laurence. The film is successful in spots, but overall its fever-dream game plan is difficult to ride out. --Tom Keogh
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