Romeo and Juliet
Comparative Essay Romeo and Juliet: Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann When making books or plays into films, every director interprets the text differently. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann’s film are different in many ways even though they are based on the same play. The film by Franco Zeffirelli, in 1968, does a better job reenacting the play in a motion picture than the film made by Baz Luhrmann, in 1996, because the setting, costumes and characterization of each person in the film, have a greater reflection on the play and William Shakespeare’s time period. All aspects of a film are important, although what makes a film unique, is it’s setting.
The setting in the film by Franco Zeffirelli makes logical sense relating to the time period of Romeo and Juliet. The film by Baz Luhrmann shows the town of Verona as a big city, with electricity, television and paved roads. Almost everything in the film’s setting does not exist in the time period of Shakespeare. The film by Zeffirelli takes place in a small town with no electricity, gobble stone roads and stone houses, which is what it is like during Shakespeare’s time period. The balcony scene in the Zeffirelli film is more romantic and suitable for the film than the Luhrmann balcony scene. The balcony scene in Romeo + Juliet does not seem special or romantic because there is a big pool, bright lights, no moonlight, and Juliet does not talk to Romeo from her balcony. The places of communal gathering in the two films are very different. Baz Luhrmann’s choice of “town square”, where important scenes take place is Verona Beach. Verona Beach is a dirty, sandy and sketchy place in town. Franco Zeffirelli’s choice of “town square” is an actual city square, which makes more sense. Not only are there differences in the setting between the two films, there are also differences in the choice of costumes.
The costumes of the actors in both the Zeffirelli and Luhrmann films are
The setting in the film by Franco Zeffirelli makes logical sense relating to the time period of Romeo and Juliet. The film by Baz Luhrmann shows the town of Verona as a big city, with electricity, television and paved roads. Almost everything in the film’s setting does not exist in the time period of Shakespeare. The film by Zeffirelli takes place in a small town with no electricity, gobble stone roads and stone houses, which is what it is like during Shakespeare’s time period. The balcony scene in the Zeffirelli film is more romantic and suitable for the film than the Luhrmann balcony scene. The balcony scene in Romeo + Juliet does not seem special or romantic because there is a big pool, bright lights, no moonlight, and Juliet does not talk to Romeo from her balcony. The places of communal gathering in the two films are very different. Baz Luhrmann’s choice of “town square”, where important scenes take place is Verona Beach. Verona Beach is a dirty, sandy and sketchy place in town. Franco Zeffirelli’s choice of “town square” is an actual city square, which makes more sense. Not only are there differences in the setting between the two films, there are also differences in the choice of costumes.
The costumes of the actors in both the Zeffirelli and Luhrmann films are