Hren, Edward

English

DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

ESSAIVolume 7 Article 234-1-2010Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + JulietEdward HrenCollege of DuPageFollow this and additional works at: http://dc.cod.edu/essaiThis Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@C.O.D.. It has been accepted for inclusion inESSAI by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@C.O.D.. For more information, please contact koteles@cod.edu.Recommended CitationHren, Edward (2009) "Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet," ESSAI: Vol. 7, Article 23.Available at: http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/2364Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Julietby Edward Hren(Theatre 1100)illiam Shakespeare would not only approve of Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film “Romeo +Juliet”, a modern film adaptation of his The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy ofRomeo and Juliet (first printing in 1597), but he would enjoy it as well. In the fourhundred years plus that passed between when the Bard’s tale of star cross’d lovers was first told toaudiences and people lined up at their local multiplexes and video stores to see Luhrmann’stranslation, a lot had changed. The premise that Shakespeare would indeed enjoy the film comes withone simple and obvious caveat. Under this hypothetical, the hypothetical William would have to beup to date on current pop culture. Imagine a youngster coming to Shakespeare for the first time inthis day and age and how difficult it is to grasp it early on. This film would be the same thing forhim. Shakespeare’s head might explode at the sight of a movie screen let alone a home entertainmentcenter replete with a DVD player and surround sound. The film is a cutting edge slice of modernity,even ahead of its time, so it is definitely light years ahead of Shakespeare’s. With that aside,however, Shakespeare would appreciate the homage to his play as he was seen as somewhat of arenegade, much like Luhrmann. The film’s inclusion of outstanding music would appeal toShakespeare’s sensibilities as well. Overall Shakespeare would see that through all the glitz and slickproduction values, Luhrmann not only presented his original themes but illuminated them tenfold socontemporary audiences could understand and be touched by them as much as Elizabethanaudiences were back in the days of the Globe Theatre. Beyond all of this, there are a few more roadblocks William Shakespeare would need to get over to see the movie in a positive light.The issues Shakespeare might take with the film may seem small but surely they would comeup. Besides setting the play in a place called “Verona Beach”, shooting the film with quick, MTVstyle cuts and upping the firepower of the characters from swords to guns, Shakespeare would haveto resign himself to the fact that ample dialogue and even full scenes would need to be cut or havethe context completely changed. Luhrmann obviously thought that the masses would need the storywrapped up in pretty bows and modern frivolity in order to accept it. Luhrmann also knew that itwould need to come in at two hours or less and be chock full of action from start to finish.Shakespeare would need to understand that the director knew the potential audiences’ preferences offilm and tailored his vision, wonderfully, to them. Contextually, when Romeo is first seen in thefilm, Luhrmann needed a way to show his monologues without having him talking to himself, so hewas made into a poet. Luhrmann’s Romeo was always scribbling Shakespeare’s more poetic lines ina notebook. This added a touch of comedy at times. For instance, the audience sees Romeo writingthe lines “O heavy lightness, serious vanity. Misshapen chaos of well seeming forms (etc.)” andwhen he regurgitates them to Benvolio who is speaking plainly while they watch news reports ontelevision that feature Benvolio and the opening fight scene, it prompts him to laugh at Romeo’sfancy eloquence. Benvolio’s snickering then prompts Romeo’s line “Dost thou not laugh?” To whichhis cousin replies in a heavy modern street slang voice “No, coz, I rather weep.” Luhrmann also takesliberty with the sequence of some of Shakespeare’s lines. These liberties always seemed to add to thestory Luhrmann was trying to tell and enhance Shakespeare’s messages without changing or addingany outside dialogue.One of the many scenes that dripped with emotion in the film saw both major dialogue cutsand a context change that diverted from Shakespeare’s original version. Mercutio’s Queen MabW1Hren: Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + JulietProduced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 200965speech was cut in half and delivered with voracious passion, and in drag, in the scene leading up tothe Capulet ball. In it Mercutio offers Romeo a psychedelic pill. After the speech Romeo takes it,assured by Mercutio’s understanding of the power of dreams. As Romeo enters the fateful party, heprematurely delivers the line “drugs are quick”, which is one of his final lines in Shakespeare’spublished version. It is just after he utters this line that he first sees Juliet, marking the beginning oftheir love and of his death. Luhrmann’s line shift was not just a case of him taking poetic license, itwas an aid in updating the scene and charging the line’s meaning with duality and foreboding.Another case of scene deletion was Romeo’s final fight with Paris. The film’s Paris, played by PaulRudd as a goofy, yuppie senator Dave Paris, was a mere side note in the shadows of Romeo andJuliet’s all powerful love and therefore did not warrant Shakespeare’s final showdown. There weremany cuts and changes but in the final product, all were necessary in Luhrmann’s vision.Shakespeare would probably grasp this better than most and abide it well.William Shakespeare was known in his time as somewhat of a renegade. He revolutionizedthe theatre forevermore. Luhrmann’s film adaptation and countless others are a testament to that.When Romeo and Juliet was first staged, it was well known that Queen Elizabeth had a strongdistaste for dueling (Botnick 1996), so Shakespeare upped the violence. In 1595 arranged marriageswere the norm and the play took a very strong stand against them (Botnick 1996). A little known factis that the bestselling work of Shakespeare’s in his lifetime was not a play but an erotic poem calledVenus and Adonis. It sold mainly to young men and was written at a time when theatres were closeddue to plague. He sold sex, basically, because he was running out of money with the theatres closed.Paramount with his status of rebel was Shakespeare’s status of innovator. He coined 1700 newEnglish words in his works. A couple of the more successful ones being “addiction” and “priceless”(Dickson 2009). Shakespeare was also the first playwright to really delve into psychologicallyidentifying his characters. Characters of the day were reduced to mere stereotypes and symbols whileShakespeare’s were often provided a back story and depth through his writing. Over time, because ofthese dramatic, character building techniques, Shakespeare’s characters are much more vivid andmemorable than any other playwright of his time (Grolier 1996). With these credentials as a cuttingedge artist, Shakespeare would surely see in Luhrmann a kindred spirit.Luhrmann is also considered an outsider and innovator by his peers based on his work. Hismost successful film to date is “Moulin Rouge” which marries the tale of a poet and 19th centuryFrench whore with contemporary musical numbers. It was a great success despite being nothing likethe mainstream multiplex draws of today. The previously mentioned liberty Luhrmann took withRomeo’s drug fueled party scene is an example of just one extension of Shakespeare’s rebelliousnature to his own. Luhrmann’s take on what is Shakespeare’s most well known scene in the play andone of the best known scenes of all time, the balcony scene, may be the biggest of all risks he took inmaking the film. Shakespeare’s scene is perfection. A testament to its wonderful portrayal of theyoung lovers promising themselves to each other, despite everything that goes against it, is the factthat it endures these 400 years later and is seen as a template in that any scene with a balcony in it, inany medium, automatically inspires thoughts of Romeo and Juliet. Here is where Luhrmann’sShakespearean renegade streak as a film maker comes to the fore. Once again, by completelychanging all but the words, he not only retains the original sense of overwhelming romance in thescene, but enhances it for a modern generation.Juliet’s room overlooks an opulent swimming pool. Yes, there is a trellis leading up to abalcony, but convention does not sit well with Luhrmann. First, the audience sees a high tech securitybooth with a guard passively watching monitors focused on Juliet’s balcony and the pool area below.He does not see Romeo who has begun his dialogue to himself. Then the balcony is seen but theaudience is surprised when instead of Juliet, the nurse is seen peaking out on the balcony. Romeo ishalfway up the trellis when she appears, briefly scaring him, and then Juliet arrives; she comes out onthe ground floor from an elevator. Juliet delivers her lines as Romeo follows behind her, closer and2ESSAI, Vol. 7 [2009], Art. 23http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/2366closer, listening. When Romeo finally speaks he is practically on top of her and in her fright theytopple over each other into the romantically lit pool. Twice the security guard is shown checking themonitors but the heroes are underwater and unseen. When a guard finally appears pool side to checkon what he heard, Romeo submerges and the guard is seen looking lustily at a sopping wet Julietbefore leaving her alone. Romeo and Juliet deliver a majority of their famous discourse with eachother in the pool, floating, orbiting one another. Just before the nurse calls Juliet in the two take afinal plunge and share a long underwater kiss. The shot is beautifully lit and in slow motion.Luhrmann changes one of the most famous scenes in history for the sake of heightening the alreadygroundbreaking sexuality and romanticism it includes. At the play and film’s core is love. WhileLuhrmann’s version has enhanced, sped up and has more flashy action and violence, the romance isequally more intense due to his risk taking. Shakespeare, of all people, would notice that.One other stand-out sequence that has Luhrmann’s fingerprints all over it, intensifying theBard’s intentions and thus pleasing him posthumously, hypothetically, is Mercutio’s slaying parlayedinto Romeo’s revenge over the “Prince of Cats.” The scene in which the nurse comes to see Romeowhen he’s with his friends, between the film and play, is relatively similar. In the movie they arehanging out at the beach and when the nurse arrives they tease at her but Luhrmann changes it byhaving Mercutio fire his gun into the air. The music, the loud carrying on by the men, the beachsounds, everything goes silent. Mortal seriousness is established as Mercutio soberly delivers the line“Romeo, will you come to your father’s? We’ll dinner tither”. The gunshot kills the whimsy asLuhrmann shows that Mercutio knows the dangerous path his friend is walking down with the nurse.This shows the viewers a side of the philosophical party-boy not yet seen. Mercutio, in this scene,shows a deep and abiding love for Romeo and genuine concern for his welfare. Two scenes laterMercutio’s blood absolutely boils when Tybalt arrives at the beach in search of Romeo. Because ofthe previous scene Mercutio’s passion is understood and believed when he intercedes in Romeo’sfavor as Tybalt beats his new (albeit unknown) in-law. Mercutio wails on Tybalt soundly beforebeing stabbed by his hidden switchblade. Mercutio then falls back into his comedian mode with the“look for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man” lines but then brings back the passion,tinged with spite, spitting “A plague O’ both your houses!” Quick cut, flash close-ups on Romeo andTybalt’s faces, a storm gathers and Mercutio dies; soon after they are seen in their cars, tearing offafter each other through downtown Verona Beach. A fantastic collision in the center of the city andTybalt’s gun falls out of his overturned car. All this insanity instead of Shakespeare’s Romeo andBenvolio discussing what just happened until Tybalt’s return. All dialogue is cut, and then reenters asboth men pick up the gun in the pouring rain, Tybalt’s finger on the trigger and Romeo, on his knees,holding the other end and pointing the barrel straight at his own head screams three times “Either I,or thou, or both must go with him!” This spooks Tybalt so much that he drops the gun and staggersback. Romeo is shown picking up the gun and unloading the whole chamber on Tybalt. Romeo isseething as Tybalt dies. These scenes could never be captured this way on stage yet they representShakespeare’s ideas so clearly.As for Luhrmann’s skill for character development, it is on par with Shakespeare for fullydeveloping them psychologically. Take Brian Dennehy’s Lord Montague. He is worried anddepressed over not understanding his poet son. Montague is played always slouched over and sad inhis tuxedo, almost resigned to Romeo’s ultimate fate from the start. Paul Sorvino fills the role ofLord Capulet with relish as a drunken, depraved and angry millionaire who does not take refusalswell at all. When Juliet tells him she does not wish to marry Paris he throws her to the ground veryviolently while screaming his lines. This helps punctuate Juliet’s similarly drunken, socialite motherwhen she responds to her daughter’s plea for help directly afterwards with “Talk not to me, for I’llnot speak a word. Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee.” But the main characters, of course, arethe most developed. Luhrmann actually literally sets them apart from the fray. In their four main,lengthy scenes together, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo and Claire Danes’ Juliet are separated from all3Hren: Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + JulietProduced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 200967the commotion going on around, and because of, them. First, at the Capulet ball they are enclosed,for the most part, in an elevator. Hiding from everyone else as they first kiss and flirt with each other.Next, in the aforementioned “balcony scene” which actually takes place in a pool and underwaterthey are alone and protected by the water. The third time they are alone together they use the sheetsof their marriage bed to hide and avoid the light of the new day in which Romeo is to begin hisbanishment. Finally, on their death mantel, they are surrounded by hundreds of candles and manyneon lit crosses. There is no Paris corpse even in this version, they are alone and surrounded oncemore.Quickly, a few more liberties, tricks and devises all cleverly used in the film that Shakespearewould certainly notice and appreciate. When Mr. Montague asks for his “longsword” he is handed agun and the camera quickly flashes to the brand of gun and it is “Longsword”. The apothecary isbasically a tenement junky drug dealer. The fighting between the young Montagues and Capulets allover town is akin to gang wars and is covered by the media and splashed all over headlines andtelevision news reports. The chief of police is called “Captain Prince”. He shouts news of Romeo’sbanishment over a bullhorn. Signs for “Montague Oil” are all over and in the center of thisindustrialized, fictitious city towers two skyscrapers, side by side, loudly billed as the Capulet andMontague buildings. Mantua is a trailer park in the desert. In a very relatable twist for today’sviewers, it is a UPS-type delivery system that flubs the Friar’s letter to Mantua. The film opens andcloses with a black screen framing a television set. A news anchor delivers both the prologue and thefamous final line “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo”. Someonewho had to fill the female roles of men in his productions would surely appreciate these directorialslights of hand.Another parallel between the two auteurs is their knowledge and understanding ofcontemporary music. It is believed that Shakespeare used contemporary music settings by ThomasMorley for the lyric “O Mistresse Mine” in Twelfth Night (Online Shakespeare 2003). It is alsopossible to place much contemporary music and instrumentation of the time to A Midsummer Night’sDream (Online Shakespeare 2003). Lurhmann’s grasp of contemporary music is sort of his callingcard. As in his hit “Moulin Rouge”, “Romeo + Juliet” features not just beautifully arranged melodiesthat help notch the romanticism up a level, but songs by such talented and well respected but notvanilla, mainstream acts as Radiohead and The Butthole Surfers. Shakespeare would weep at theloveliness of some music in the film and gyrate to the furiousness of others but he would also marvelat the way they all fit so well.This movie is independent, anti-authoritarian and rebellious, for this alone, Shakespearewould adore it. The fact that Luhrmann not only kept Shakespeare’s themes but made them explodein the faces of a new audience who needs things to explode in their faces to fully understand them,would leave Shakespeare grinning ear to ear that his message is being told yet, solidifying hisimmortality. His theme of age versus youth, so controversial in his time is tackled with voracity inthe movie. These young Montagues and Capulets are all but giving the finger to the entire civilizedworld that surrounds them. Car chases and shoot outs, cross dressing, drug usage and of course, amarriage forbidden by violence all done with almost no notice of the parents or authorities. Not onlywould Shakespeare not mind the slicing of his dialogue and scenes once he sees how they play out,he would cheer Luhrmann on upon the realization that the changes were imperative to the transferfrom the page and stage to the big screen. Shakespeare would revel in the fact that his story was toldby a fellow renegade and innovator. While Baz Luhrmann may have never actually created words, hehas reworked and rewritten touchstone musical pieces so that they sound like they were created forhis movies right down to the scene and the second he used them in. William Shakespeare would lovethis film because it is beautiful but mostly he would love that the film made young people today seethe beauty in his story.4ESSAI, Vol. 7 [2009], Art. 23http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol7/iss1/2368For his masses, and in conclusionLuhrmann’s vision allays confusionTho not precisely note for noteT’is, and more clear, what the Bard wroteWould William Shakespeare Approve of Baz Luhrmann’s Film “Romeo + Juliet?Eddie HrenTheatre App. Tues. PM“But above everything else, [William Shakespeare] had to deal with a city of 400,000 peopleand a theatre that held 4,000 and everyone from the street sweeper upwards. Not unlike your localCineplex, and he used everything possible to arrest and stop that audience - really bawdy comedy andthen, wham! Something really beautiful and poetic. Everything we did in Romeo + Juliet (1996) wasbased on Elizabethan Shakespeare. The fact that there was pop music in it was a Shakespeareanthing. We would be fearless about the lowness of the comedy” – (Baz Luhrmann)Works CitedLuhrmann, Baz. “Baz Luhrmann Quotes and Trivia at Movie Tome.” Movietome. Web.http://www.movietome.com.Romeo + Juliet. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Leonardo DiCapirio, Claire Danes, and Pete Postlewaite.20th Century Fox, 1996. Film.5Hren: Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + JulietProduced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2009

Baz Luhrmann\u27s \u3cem\u3eRomeo + Juliet\u3c/em\u3e

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

[email protected].