Review of Romeo + Juliet (1996) by Mrmoviebuff — 21 Aug 2016

I have very mixed thoughts on Baz Lurhmann's take on the famous William Shakespeare tragic love story, "Romeo + Juliet". On the one hand, I think it's a clever way to get teenagers into the story as it does appeal to that demographic perfectly. On the other hand, what we get is a little strange given how it is set during the present time, but the dialogue doesn't match the time period making the tone inconsistent and somewhat confusing.

The two leads are played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes who do share some terrific chemistry with their young energy and spirit. The movie, of course, focuses on the war between the Montagues and the Capulets, but, during a ball at the Capulet side, when Romeo crosses over, he sees the one thing he truly desires. Both Romeo and Juliet meet at the ball and they really hit it off, only to later discover that they are from two opposing families.

Things do get a little heated between the two families when they find out that both Romeo and Juliet are seeing each other in secret, which then leads Romeo to run away in exile, and Juliet eventually faking her own death leading an unaware Romeo to believe that she has died since his departure.

As I said above, I admired the movie trying to appeal to a young demographic, but at the same time, the tone is confused and somewhat disjointed. Since the movie is set in modern times, would it just be easier to craft the dialogue with a more contemporary feel? I understand that the Shakespeare-like dialogue is essential when adapting some of his most famous stories, but here, since the setting is different, the dialogue may as well have been.

Although, I also admire Baz Lurhmann's set pieces, and the action is terrific to watch and often intense. The actors in this movie give it their all as well, playing the roles convincingly and offering enough commitment to make this film an unforgettable and emotional experience. Like I said, I have mixed thoughts in regards to this film, but overall, there are some things done well, and other things that could have been done better.