Shakespeare Plays in Film

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Movie

July 6, 2006 – 10:27 pm | by Ennis

Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 movie ‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’ is a very accessible version of the play. Modern secondary school students, I think, react to this movie in a similar way to how Shakespeare’s original -- audience would have reacted. We forget how revolutionary this early play of Shakespeare’s was, but Luhrmann brings his audience face to face to the scandal of tampering with the Bard.

Romeo and Juliet

Whenever I have taught Romeo and Juliet to high school students, I dither over whether to show the movie first and then introduce them to the written text, or to plow through the script and then treat them to the movie. The gulf between 21st Century Australian state school students and Elizabethan England is narrowed by the visual interpretation and modernisation of the movie. The script is all taken from the original play, although not all the script is used. Some scenes are changed around or ommitted, and some changes to character storylines have been made.

Baz Luhrmann has set his version in a fictionalised Verona Beach in Florida. There is a Jesus monument on the hills overlooking the city, much like the Bolivian Jesus monument at Cochabamba. Skyscrapers are topped by the trade names Capulet and Montague to reinforce the conflict between the two families.

Romeo and Juliet meet at a party -- discovering each other through the symbolic barrier of an aquarium.

Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)

The desensitized nature of the modern movie audience glories in the violence of this movie. Gun play, explosions, and the final double suicide are compelling and disturbing. I will often not play the final suicide scene because of its glorification of teen suicide. I think this is a dangerously attractive portrayal of suicide that I would rather not expose my students to.

Locations

Alameda, California.
Chapultepec Castle, Chapultepec Park, Mexico City.
Estudios Churubusco Azteca, Mexico City.

Useful Links

William Shakespeare’s Romeo+Juliet at Wikipedia

Romeo and Juliet Official Site includes information on Shakespeare, setting, production notes.

Bazmark -- Baz Luhrmann’s Official Site

Romeo+Juliet IMDB

Baz Luhrmann IMDB

Baz Luhrmann at Wikipedia

Craig Armstrong (Composer)

DVD Special Edition

Available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Includes

  • Subtitles in Spanish and English
  • Audio commentary by Baz Luhrmann (director, co-writer, producer), Catherine Martin (production designer), Don McAlpine (cinematographer), and Craig Pearce (co-writer).
  • Director’s Gallery and Cinematographer’s Gallery
  • Interview with Catherine Martin, Production Designer
  • Two TV Trailers
  • Cast and Crew Interviews
  • Music Videos: “Young Hearts Run Free” by Kym Mazelle, and “Kissing You”, by Des’ree.

Music from the Motion Picture

Volume 1 and Volume 2 at Amazon.com

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  1. 85 Responses to “William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Movie”

  2. By ellie on Apr 17, 2007 | Reply

    i love romeo and juliet im sooooooo good at it in school

  3. By Melanie on Apr 21, 2007 | Reply

    I love and hate this movie…peace peace

  4. By samyra on Apr 23, 2007 | Reply

    this is a very interesting book i think all middle schoolers shold do this play

  5. By sadia on Apr 24, 2007 | Reply

    i love this movie and oh roemo is soooooooooooo fit!!! ;-)

  6. By Megan..x on May 2, 2007 | Reply

    I Lurvee this film :D !

  7. By Georgia on May 20, 2007 | Reply

    I am currently doing a production of Romeo and Juliet in high school if only DiCaprio was my Romeo.

  8. By rebeckha on Jun 6, 2007 | Reply

    this movie was easyier to follow and to understand. i loved how they still used old english and made it more up bet (up to date). ^-^

  9. By hank on Jun 8, 2007 | Reply

    This movie is bizzare to me, because it’s more modern than classical. There is a lot of action and some dramatic music, which I liked. Good thing they used Old English with American accent:). I would rate this movie 4 stars…

  10. By redpanther on Jul 16, 2007 | Reply

    Man is there no website to download this film…
    if there is pls pls pls do mail me for its very urgent.

  11. By Piratelover on Aug 22, 2007 | Reply

    this is an awesome movie! i love how they have kept the shakesperean language, but put it in a context that teens love! and leo is hot!

  12. By Abbi on Sep 6, 2007 | Reply

    I loOve dis film n tha book..!
    I wud..! :P
    xx

  13. By ellie on Sep 12, 2007 | Reply

    oooh my god.. this film is just so perfect i love it.. leonardo is so beautiful it’s amazing and he’s so nice to juliet but it’s a film so let’s face the truth.. :P

  14. By sxc loza ere 2k7 on Oct 3, 2007 | Reply

    dis film was ace man luv it xxx

  15. By LAILA on Oct 4, 2007 | Reply

    I AM VERY LIKE THIS FILM BECOSE THIS FILM sangat mengagungkan cinta

  16. By AmY XxX on Oct 5, 2007 | Reply

    the book is hard 2 undertsand but lovin the film mind :D
    omg i wanna Marry leonardo!
    :) luv ya!
    xxx

  17. By chelsie on Oct 7, 2007 | Reply

    hi
    i love this film and i love leanoardo decapreo and i want him to be in more movies and i need him to be in more movies and then i can see him more and gass at hima nd pretend the film i really life and pereatend that i am the persion that is kissing him becouse he is so nice and sexcy he is so hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  18. By ANTOINETTE on Oct 9, 2007 | Reply

    I LOVE THIS MOVIE SOOOOOOO MUCH THAT I CAN WATCH IT EVERY SINGLE DAY THE WORDS ARE SET STILL AS WILLIAM SAID IT AND WROTE IT BUT HE PUT THE LANGUAGE THAT US TEENS CAN UNDERSTAND THATS WHY I LOVE IT I DONT LIKE IT I LOOOOVE IT THANKS FOR READING THIS AND TAKING YOUR TIME TO PAY ATTENTOIN TO IT AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HVE NOT SEEN IT EVERY BODY AND I MEEN EVERY BODY NEED TO WATCH IT PLZ LEI ME DOWN LOAD THIS ON THE COMPUTER SO I COULD WATCH IT EVERY DAY THANK YOUUUUUU

  19. By danchel on Oct 11, 2007 | Reply

    this is gd we r doin corsework on it

    whoop!! whoop!!

    :) :):):):)):)

  20. By sascha on Oct 11, 2007 | Reply

    this is an amazing film
    juliet is sooooooooooooooo fit

  21. By poppy on Oct 11, 2007 | Reply

    i so agree with u sascha her body is beut

  22. By J0J0 on Oct 12, 2007 | Reply

    THiiS ST0Ryy iiS S00 K00 G3T 4T M3..!

  23. By Beyonce on Oct 16, 2007 | Reply

    I love this movie very much =)

  24. By Jake on Oct 19, 2007 | Reply

    i love thus play i saw it in theaters with JAKE!!!!!!! and the play was amazing

  25. By Awais on Oct 20, 2007 | Reply

    ooooooo i love this movie shoooooooooo much…..Leonardo works so great,love his performance………….btw how can i watch this movie….i havn’t seen this yet :P …………hehe

  26. By Maddie on Oct 22, 2007 | Reply

    Eh, this movie is too modern. Romeo and Juliet is suppose to be a classical. I only saw this movie because of Leonardo, other than that it was…bleh. The original movie made in the 1960’s was SOO much better.

  27. By john on Oct 23, 2007 | Reply

    This website is the bomb…….not.

  28. By John on Nov 8, 2007 | Reply

    why do people even like romeo and juliet???

  29. By ebony on Nov 9, 2007 | Reply

    i love romeo and juliet it very romantice and very sad i think iam in love too

  30. By bungz on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply

    this movie is soooo beautiful

  31. By Emily on Nov 20, 2007 | Reply

    i love romeo and juliet i think it is sooooooo romantic but sooooooooo sad tooo x x

  32. By Linda on Nov 26, 2007 | Reply

    Romeo and Juliet is the best film in the whole world.
    Leonardo DiCaprio brings me to cry he plays it right convincingly.
    I love this movie so much I could him watch me every day.
    Big lob to all those who have made with

  33. By samiullah q on Nov 26, 2007 | Reply

    ewlllllo ewlooooo pp iant tellin anifinhg about the movie cuz my life is on the same track anyways its goooood movie

  34. By erin campbell on Nov 27, 2007 | Reply

    this movie is okay but its not really that great. i really wanted to kill myself when i was watching it. thanx

  35. By Joana on Nov 30, 2007 | Reply

    i licked juliets pussy it was wet

  36. By ilove candy on Nov 30, 2007 | Reply

    u think that the movie and the book were amazing

  37. By Foogy day on Dec 13, 2007 | Reply

    This movie was cool and all, the thing about it is i actually wish it WASNT in elizebethian lagnuage. If it wasnt i would have been able to get more attached to it… But it was in old english, It was clever on some parts but it was just plain out laugh out loud funny when i tried to watch certain parts, though it wasnt supposed to be

  38. By Charlie on Dec 18, 2007 | Reply

    i hate this film

  39. By Stephanie on Dec 19, 2007 | Reply

    I think Romeo and Juliet sucks!!!

  40. By BiG D on Dec 22, 2007 | Reply

    i hate the part when she did not say anything and he drunk the potion

  41. By ana on Jan 16, 2008 | Reply

    es genial no solo el libro sino la pelicula y no se diga la serie en anime me facina

  42. By bryan on Jan 24, 2008 | Reply

    wow it is a great story can u make a part2

  43. By jesse on Feb 15, 2008 | Reply

    u can’t make a part two when the main characters are dead!!!

  44. By marai luisa m. barroga on Feb 18, 2008 | Reply

    tHe character fits leonardo decaprio s much ..he’s so handsome!!!!

  45. By pancho on Feb 20, 2008 | Reply

    jai mai neim es pancho

  46. By pancho on Feb 20, 2008 | Reply

    everibodi es osom

  47. By Melanie on Feb 25, 2008 | Reply

    The most beautifull film and the must beautifull story. Thanks to Baz Lurmann for this. There’s make me cry, make me happy, make me nervous, make me stay in love so much…

  48. By fi fi doo on Feb 28, 2008 | Reply

    wwwwwwoooooowwwwwww i love this movie it is the best i saw it in school

  49. By mahshad on Mar 2, 2008 | Reply

    I have never seen that film but when I heard alot about this I am trying to find and watch it as soon as possible.It must be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!

  50. By Nanci on Mar 4, 2008 | Reply

    I LOOOVE THIS LOVE MOVIE! HE IS SOOO DAMN HOOOT

  51. By hedgehog pie on Mar 4, 2008 | Reply

    this is a hot movie

  52. By sasha on Mar 7, 2008 | Reply

    this was a great film

  53. By summer on Mar 14, 2008 | Reply

    you know what i think… i think this movie is lame and over played.. it runied my day.. zero stars

  54. By DENISE on Mar 28, 2008 | Reply

    romeo and juliet gave their lives for each other – thats sad

  55. By jennifer on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply

    i love this movie!!!!!<3

  56. By jennifer on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply

    great movie

  57. By sydney on Apr 16, 2008 | Reply

    our school is doing a shakspear play and im in the play taming of the screws and im kathrean

  58. By Sexy Bitch on May 2, 2008 | Reply

    this movie is hard to understand i saw it in school.

  59. By Autumn on May 12, 2008 | Reply

    Congratulations! You have just labeled yourself a closed-minded illiterate.

  60. By Autumn on May 12, 2008 | Reply

    (The previous was in response to Stephanie. Cheers!)

  61. By nigs. on May 15, 2008 | Reply

    i love this movie! leanardo is hot stuff.;)

    GREAT MOVIE YA’LL.

  62. By cool kid.:p on May 15, 2008 | Reply

    so basically this movie rocks my whole wide world.! :D

    leonadro’s a hottie with a body.
    id tap that.;)

  63. By Princess India on May 17, 2008 | Reply

    i really like this movie. It’s a very passionate movie. This is the best love story ever!

  64. By liljay-dee x x on May 22, 2008 | Reply

    yh we are doin courzework on it we all loved it it a good film comparred to da ova 1 int ppl xx i wud watch it everiday wud you lot xx from liljay-dee xx

  65. By Abu on May 28, 2008 | Reply

    yo wtf this movie is mad gxexy.

  66. By dezalyne on May 29, 2008 | Reply

    yeah!!! your right guys!! this film is reall very very!! gooooooood!!! I could watch it everyday…

  67. By evi on May 30, 2008 | Reply

    this movie can make my tears falling down…
    i love this movie,mnore than anything

  68. By evi on May 30, 2008 | Reply

    penuh dengan pengorbanan…

  69. By evi on May 30, 2008 | Reply

    are you sure…?
    will watch this movie everiday..?

  70. By Bob Marley on Jun 4, 2008 | Reply

    I think this film is a let down to the film industry. I think its patheticly silly how they die at the end. Maybe they should of got ran over or something traditional but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO they had a pukka pie moment where they kill each over.. But thats my opinion.. peace out dudes..xxxxxxxxx

  71. By judith cohen on Jun 21, 2008 | Reply

    jGeez, Rob, you should stick to singing! Don’t go into film critiques. You sound like an idiot and your music is too original and nice for that. (Although I know I’m speaking to a dead man). The very point of Romeo and Juliet which you obviously and embarassingly missed, is that they were so young. The young do things they would never think of doing even five years later. She was only 13 or 14 and he was about l5 or l6.

  72. By Stephanie on Nov 1, 2008 | Reply

    I think that Romeo and Juliet is a classic. It is brilliantly written and brilliantly acted and directed. Etc. I (L) it soooo much. I could watch it over and over :) ayayaya

    i dont see how anyone could not like this :)
    woop woop

  73. By sathyla on Nov 12, 2008 | Reply

    ooouucchh…..it’s very intime n romantic!!!
    Great!!! im addicted!!

  74. By giggie on Dec 9, 2008 | Reply

    iam in love with this movie because this movie is so like romantic for me i cry at the end of the end………… this movie is ment to be

  75. By romina on Dec 12, 2008 | Reply

    Thanks a lot for this post

  76. By Cami on Dec 17, 2008 | Reply

    Omg he’s soo hot
    :)
    would TOTALLY marry him
    :)
    <333

  77. By Party boy on Dec 17, 2008 | Reply

    what the hell
    they die
    :(

  78. By HANNAH on Jan 1, 2009 | Reply

    I LOVE ROMEO+JULIT I HATE THAT ROMEO AND JULIT ARE ENAMES BECUSE IF I LIKE ALEXANDER DAVIES AND WE WHER ENAMES THAT MAKE ME SAD AND ILL DIE AT THE END BY SHOTTING MY SELF ON THE HEAD

  79. By HANNAH on Jan 1, 2009 | Reply

    PLUS IM GITTENG THE BOOK ROME AND JULIT DID YOU KNOW ROMEO IS IN THE TANTANIC THAT HOT I MERRY ROMEO BYE

  80. By Sarah on Feb 3, 2009 | Reply

    If u guys want essay help, check out Romeo and Juliet at the Shmoop website.

  81. By melisia on Feb 24, 2009 | Reply

    i love this film but at the end it makes me cry and romeo is so u know fit

  82. By LL on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply

    I *love* both the play and this film.

    Teachers who show their students Luhrmann’s film should explain to them what Elizabethan theater was like: in the year 1600 audiences were more archaic, natural and wild than we are today. They weren’t silent or discreet, but spent the time in theaters flirting and drinking (the way we would do in a football stadium nowadays). That’s why Shakespeare entertained them the loud way – not just with the pure text we find in his books. That’s why Luhrmann made it such a loud and lush film (and a truly unforgettable one for more than one reason!).

    People who’ve watched this film and still don’t understand why Romeo + Juliet is the world’s most famous love story will never understand it, I suppose.

  83. By amnada on Apr 25, 2009 | Reply

    i love the move it mad me cry at the end but whatever i jash over it

  84. By lamiah on Oct 10, 2009 | Reply

    i have never seen the movie and realy want too
    dose anyone know a site were i could dounload the movie if so plz tell me :) leonardo is sooo phitt :)

  85. By joceline on Oct 31, 2009 | Reply

    chaaaaaa s teible d wuenaaaaa la peli l dicaprio supr rico

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