An important setting in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 ‘Romeo & Juliet’ is the modernisation of sixteenth century Verona, Italy, to twentieth century Verona, Mexico. Through this Luhrmann is able to show how William Shakespeare’s themes of crime, wealth and conflict are timeless. This modernisation is important because it broadens the audience of the play and allows Shakespeare’s ides to be accessed by more people. It is also important Luhrmann used a very catholic country such as Mexico to allow religions continual presence in the story to be applicable.
Baz Luhrmann has modernised the play to a modern Mexico filled with crime, wealth and conflict. At the beginning of the film, time manipulation is used to create a montage of images, showing they live in a fast paced, modern world. These images involve a view of the Capulet and Montague households opposite each …show more content…
We are shown this is important through the use of visual and verbal techniques. In an establishing shot, a large religious statue standing between the two households is shown through the lens of a shaky camera. This shaky camera work may represent that religion has lost its tight hold on the city and its people, unable to control them as strictly as expected. Throughout the film there are also many religious symbols such as crosses, ornaments of The Virgin Mary and shrines. All the props are in the background as if standing idly by which perhaps shows that religion is not actively healing the conflict of the two families. Baz Luhrmann has made sure we are able to understand important ideas of Shakespeare’s such as the prospect that religion cannot heal everything. It seems that William Shakespeare’s original idea and Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of it show how, even through the century’s, basic concepts involving religion remain the
Baz Luhrmann has modernised the play to a modern Mexico filled with crime, wealth and conflict. At the beginning of the film, time manipulation is used to create a montage of images, showing they live in a fast paced, modern world. These images involve a view of the Capulet and Montague households opposite each …show more content…
We are shown this is important through the use of visual and verbal techniques. In an establishing shot, a large religious statue standing between the two households is shown through the lens of a shaky camera. This shaky camera work may represent that religion has lost its tight hold on the city and its people, unable to control them as strictly as expected. Throughout the film there are also many religious symbols such as crosses, ornaments of The Virgin Mary and shrines. All the props are in the background as if standing idly by which perhaps shows that religion is not actively healing the conflict of the two families. Baz Luhrmann has made sure we are able to understand important ideas of Shakespeare’s such as the prospect that religion cannot heal everything. It seems that William Shakespeare’s original idea and Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of it show how, even through the century’s, basic concepts involving religion remain the