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How does Baz Luhrman, the director, aim this film at a younger audience? Romeo and Juliet was a play originally written by William Shakespeare in 1595. Baz Luhrman released a modern film of the timeless classic, but he directed it in a way for it to appeal to a younger audience. He cast Leonardo di Capri and Clare Danes, as our two main characters: Romeo and Juliet.
I wish to discuss the techniques used by Baz Luhrman in his successful attempt to make this story more intriguing to a young audience. One way in which this film immediately captures my attention is in the opening sequence. A slow zoom takes us to a solitary t. v set where a news reporter takes us into the film.
We are shown shots of the happenings in the film and In Fair Verona flashes on the screen three times in a daring white font against a black background. The font however seems quite modern, not a typical text you would expect in a Shakespearean film. Freeze frames, usually found in a drama series, then introduce us to some characters in the film but Romeo and Juliet are noticeably absent. Fast, almost flashing images of scenes in the film are then shown to us with continuous views of the religious statue. The one thing in the story, which unites the two families, is religion so this is an extremely symbolic image.
White text is again shown telling of the warring of the Capulet and Montague families and a deep, dramatic voice reads, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean and a pair of star cross lovers take their lives. This quote, I found explained the basic storyline behind this film as it tells of the fighting families and of the tragic love between Romeo and Juliet. The repetition of the word civil also adds to the tension of this. Loud choir music follows as once again in white font the words Romeo and Juliet appear on our screens. This in a sense is dramatic and draws our attention to the screen. The first fight scene, shown early on in the film is made to such a modern extent that some of it may seem humorous to young people.
The scene begins with relatives of the Montague family pulling up at a petrol station. The Capulet boys then arrive in a nicer car. When they are first seen, each has a cigar, which is put out by being crunched on the ground under the metal heel caps on their boots. This abnormality on the shoes gives an idea of the amount of money this family has. The registration plates on the cars may be appreciated by a modern audience more as they read, Cap 005 and Mon 005 showing that each family is instantly identified. The sign swinging from a wall at the petrol station says, Add more fuel to your fire.
The words on this sign and the creaking noise it makes as it moves adds to the tension around the scene before the actual fight breaks out. A humorous use of props would be the womans handbag that a hiding Montague is continually hit by. This is funny because it seems so unexpected in a Shakespeare film. Each character has a gun with the family name and shield on it. A young audience will identify with this more as they are more familiar with guns as weapons than they are with swords. These props highlight how the director has tried to entertain a young audience.
The use of modern music throughout the film also captivates young viewers. The romantic song Kissing You, by Degree is played when Romeo and Juliet first encounter one another. The lyrics Pride can stand a thousand trials, but the strong will never fall. Watching stars without you, my soul cried, symbolism how deeply in love this couple could and indeed do become. It seems as if they couldnt bear to watch the stars without each other or live without each other. As the story turns out, this is the case.
At the beginning of the party scene the lively and upbeat song, Young Hearts, Run Free, by Kim Mazelle is played. The title of this song is extremely ironic as Romeo and Juliets young hearts are unable to run free because of their families hate for one another. When Romeo and Juliet are secretly married, a choir sings Everybody's Free, which is also ironic because again these lovers are not free to spend their lives together. I found this use of modern songs were more suited for a young audience and also helped to explain the storyline more clearly. In the party scene I feel the costumes are a good attempt to describe the personalities of each character to the audience.
For example, Tybalt appears in this film to be a bad guy and come the party he is dressed as a devil. Juliet is dressed as an angel, which suggests her strength, innocence and purity. Romeo arrives as a knight, a typical hero and a typical storyline of a knight in shining armour. Paris is dressed as an astronaut which isolates him from the romantic role he desperately wants. Juliets parents are dressed as Caesar and Cleopatra, which symbolizes the sense of her father being head of the house and her mother as his Queen. Mercutio, the usual life and soul of the party is dressed as what can only be described as a foxy lady, and I think it shows his wild personality as he sings and entertains the guests.
The fun behind these costumes I found were definitely more entertaining for a young audience. Another disguised technique used for a young audience would be the setting of Mercutio's death. I find this scene very symbolic, as Mercutio the entertainer dies on an unused stage in a deserted fairground. Just as the fun of the fairground has died, the outgoing spirit of Mercutio also dies. The enjoyment people would have got at the fairground is a direct clash to the enjoyment people found in Mercutio and his performances.
As Mercutio dies, he curses both the Montague and Capulet households. As he takes his final breath, a storm begins to take place. This technique is pathetic fallacy which is when a mood or emotion is conveyed by a force of nature. This whole setting effects a young audience as we can imagine people with the same personality as Mercutio and we can identify with the fairground as a place of joy. I enjoyed many parts of this film and I found each technique to be extremely effective.
My favourite, however would be the music used to capture each mood. I think that Baz Luhrman made this film more appealing to a young audience by the good use of props, music, settings and dramatic camera angles.
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