What I think worked and didn't work

Rating: Null/10 (1 April 2001)

I think that the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet turned out very good considering that it is almost a 90 degree turn on Shakespeare's original version. The Miami Beach setting gave the play something that worked well for most viewers; however, the use of Shakespeare's Elizabethan poetry was a little hard to follow for most, especially if they had never read the original play. I also liked how Baz Luhrmann employed the use of modern archetypes for the characters. They not only helped audience members understand the personalities of the characters but they also fit well into the movie. Although I enjoyed the movie on a whole, I believe that some scenes should have remained unaltered in a sense. For instance, when Romeo and Juliet pledge their love for each other. Traditionally this scene has taken place with Juliet on the balcony and Romeo below. In this version Luhrmann had them exchange their love in a swimming pool. Although this is a nice touch, I think that the balcony represented the division of their love by their families hatred for each other. Even though I thought that some things worked better than others, overall I think that Shakespeare's debut in the 90's was a success.