a retarded reinterpretation

Rating: 3/10 (23 February 2000)

Sigh. I generally dislike movies that attempt to set classics in modern times, and this is no exception. Not only is this version of the play difficult to take seriously, it's paced badly, and most of the acting is terrible. What Luhrmann has attempted to do is splice hyperactivity together with intellect - and the two don't mix well. Furthermore, setting Romeo and Juliet in modern times necessarily takes the play entirely out of context, especially when using the original dialogue. Romeo and Mercutio are particularly misrepresented here.
There are only two things that keep this "film" from getting a one or a two from me. First, the soundtrack is cool (I'm a huge Radiohead fan). Second, Shakespeare's writing is still genius, even in a misrepresentation like this. But otherwise, there's little to like about this movie. It's a blatant and gross exploitation of art for the sake of trendiness. 3/10