Two Film Versions of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a timeless, classic love story written by the incomparable William Shakespeare. Many of Shakespeare’s works are considered literary classics, but none are more loved than Romeo and Juliet. This play masterfully tells the love story of two teenagers in Elizabethan England. The title characters Romeo and Juliet are members of two feuding families, Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. There are different stylistic ways of portraying Romeo and Juliet, and the two most popular film versions portray two very different styles of this one play. Zeferellis Romeo and Juliet was made in the 1970s, and is the film version most commonly shown in high school classrooms. The newest film version of this play is Baz Luhrmanns†¦show more content†¦One such scene was the infamous balcony scene. Zeferelli stuck to the classical interpretation, while Luhrmann did not. In Zeferelli’s version Juliet was on the balcony outside her bedroom calling rhetorical ly, Romeo, Romeo where fore art thou Romeo? Romeo appears and climbs up the balcony, and they share a couple of small kisses before he departs. However, in Luhrmanns version of the play, events occurred slightly differently. Juliet is walking by the pool, when Romeo startles her and they both fall in the pool. Their conversation then takes place in the pool. In between getting interrupted by a nosy security guard they share several passionate kisses. nbsp; Another significant scene that was portrayed differently in the two versions was the suicide scene. Zeferelli’s version is once again almost exact to what we read in the book. Romeo sees what he perceives to be a dead Juliet lying in her family’s tomb, and distraught by the sight he drinks poison. When Juliet awakens from her sleep she finds Romeo dead, and stabs herself with his knife. In Luhrmanns version Romeo goes to the church where Juliet is laid out for her funeral. He also sees what he perceives to be a dead Juliet and drinks poison. When Juliet awakens from her sleep she finds out Romeo has swallowed poison and is dying. The main difference lies in the fact that we are led to believe that maybe he will see her awakeShow MoreRelatedTechniques Used to Direct Two Film Versions of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet915 Words   |  4 PagesDirect Two Film Versions of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Having watched two different film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, it is clear to see that the two directors, Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli, have used a number of different techniques, quite differently at times, to put across their particular interpretations of the play. These methods and different interpretations are very obvious if you should study the same scene as portrayed in each film. WeRead MoreRomeo And Juliet, The Balcony Scene : As Interpreted By Franco Zeffirelli And Baz Luhrmann1415 Words   |  6 PagesRomeo and Juliet, The Balcony Scene: as interpreted by Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, debatably one of the most famous love stories of all, has many film versions which have interpreted this well-known, beloved story of love in a plethora of ways. Two of the more notable film versions of this love story are Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 version and Baz Luhrmann’s 1997 version. Zeffirelli’s version takes place in the 16th century in Verona, Italy, just as theRead MoreRomeo and Juliet Comparative Essay780 Words   |  4 PagesRomeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic love story about two young lovers who are forced to be estranged as a result of their feuding families. The play is about their struggle to contravene fate and create a future together. As such, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would try and emulate Shakespeare’s masterpiece. This had been done before in many films. Prominent among them were, Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 â€Å"William Shakespeare’sRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Essay1228 Words   |  5 PagesAubrey Bryan. In Romeo and Juliet. Drama for Students. Encyclopedia.com. Web. 04 June 2017. 1. Encyclopedia.com is an online encyclopedia that provides free information, articles, or references from various credible sources such as Oxford University Press and Columbia Encyclopedia. This online encyclopedia does not let anyone rewrite references or information which is what gives this site its credibility, as they make sure information is accurate before publishing. 2. On this online encyclopediaRead MoreRomeo and Juliet: A Text to Film Comparison Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been modified numerous times and has been a source of inspiration for many playwrights and directors. Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann are examples of directors that use Shakespeare’s legendary tragedy as a basis for their films. In the Franco Zeffirelli version of Romeo and Juliet, produced in 1968, the setting is accurate to the times of when William Shakespeare wrote the play. In the last act of the film a few differences arose. In Zeffirelli’s productionRead MoreComparison of Two Film Versions of Romeo and Juliet Essay733 Words   |  3 PagesComparison of Two Film Versions of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was made into a film by two different directors. Baz Luhrmann’s to Franco Zeffirelli’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet were very distinct and they both appeal to different age group audiences. Franco Zeffirelli’s version was the first film of Romeo and Juliet. It was produced in 1968 and it was quiet typical, exactly what the audience would have expected the film of ‘Romeo and Juliet’Read More Baz Luhrman ´s Version of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay834 Words   |  4 PagesBaz Luhrman ´s Version of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet One of the characteristics of Elizabethan and also Jacobean drama is the low number of stage directions and the lack of details they contain. As a logical consequence theatrical representations or film versions of these ages may allow an important quantity of freedom in the performance. 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The film sold millions at the box office and was well received by critics such as Paul Matthews who said that Romeo and Juliet was a, radical invention of a classic text. Although the film was released to late in the year to receive any awards, William Shakespeares Romeo + Juliet was and always will be considered a classic. The reason for the films success was because the film was madeRead MoreComparing the Starts of Two Film Versions of Romeo and Juliet1744 Words   |  7 PagesStarts of Two Film Versions of Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a timeless, classical love story written by the unmatched author, William Shakespeare. Many of Shakespeare’s works are considered literary classics, but none are more loved, well known than Romeo and Juliet. This play masterfully tells the love story of two teenagers in Verona, Italy. The title characters, Romeo and Juliet, are members of two feuding families. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet