Comparing Zeffirelli's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet Essay When comparing both the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli movie version of Romeo and Juliet with the 1996 Baz Luhrmann movie of Romeo + Juliet, I feel that the newer movie by Baz Luhrmann is more effective. It is more effective because it is able to tell the story of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in a way that younger generations can understand. This 1996 version is easier to understand because people can relate to the movie as well as follow the storyline. Two specific ways the movie is superior are the costumes and the setting. The way the Baz Luhrmann costumes are more effective is how they are used in act one, scene five. In scene five in the newer movie, the costumes are actual costumes like Halloween costumes. This is effective because it gives you a way to distinguish Romeo and Juliet from the rest of the cast, as well as the costumes symbolize how they see each other, an angel and a knight. Romeo sees Juliet as an angel that is so pure and beautiful, and in his time of sorrow over Rosaline, Juliet is this new …show more content…
In Franco Zeffirelli’s movie adaptation, the setting has a medieval essence to it. With the stone walls, high ceilings, and fire used as lighting you can't help but feel you have jumped into William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. And while this is a great way to immerse the audience, I feel that the newer interpretation by Baz Luhrmann is easier to understand and relate to for a wider audience. This is because Luhrmann’s 1996 translation is very modern. It is modern in a way that we can recognise and relate more to the setting of a large house on the beach than a castle. This modern setting is helpful because even when the old English is being spoken, you can look at the background and use context clues of where they are and what they are doing to help you distinguish what is taking place. This is why the setting of the newer movie is superior to the older