Shakespeare debased

Rating: 1/10 (10 March 2000)

I have no problem with updated versions of Shakespeare. When I was in college, I was in a production of Merchant of Venice set in the 19th century; and I liked what Kenneth Branaugh did with his 19th century Hamlet. I once saw Coriolanus set in the Confederacy during the US Civil war -- which added quite a bit to the political dimensions of the play.
However, this one is over the top. When we see "Sword" brand handguns -- obviously so the line "put up your sword" would make sense -- and having Mercutio be a drug dealer is simply too much.
Nevertheless, I could have lived with it, except for two things: Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Neither one of these two has a clue about how to speak Shakespearian English. See DiCaprio with Peter Postlethwaite (Friar Laurence) or Danes with Miriam Margolyes (Nurse). Both Postlethwaite and Margolyes know the music of Shakespeare, and it is almost painful to see DiCaprio and Danes stumbling. And putting the balcony scene in a swimming pool is simply stupid.
Also, some of the secondary characters are badly done. John Leguizamo is a terrible Tybalt, and the limp-wristed Mercutio is ludicrous. Bryan Dennehy is simply wasted as Montague.
And I would like to inform the script-writer that Juliet wakes up AFTER Romeo dies, not before. If this were my introduction to Shakespeare, I would avoid him like the proverbial plague.