Baz Luhrman’s modern interpretation of the Shakespeare play Essay

This essay is based on Baz Luhrmans modernistic reading of the Shakespe be play Romeo + Juliet. It allow be focusing on the open aspect, and Prologue. I will be analysing how Baz Lurhman portrays the feud surrounded by the Montagues and the Capulets. I will besides be discussing how the presentation of The Prologue helps the audience to understand the play. The film begins with a blank TV screen. The TV screen could represent the modern interpretation to the play. The screen the becomes occupied by a news-reader, who begins reciting the sonnet.The idea of the sonnet creation read off the news, emphasises the how important the situation is. Once the news-reader has completed the sonnet, the TV transports you to the pictorial matter of the play Verona. The evinceing shot becomes app arent a Montague expression stranded form a Capulet building, only by the statue of Christ. This emphasises the theme of religion, and the line in the sonnet Both alike in dignity This is becaus e severally building belittles the rest of Verona, as well as the other(a). The tv camera whence speeds up and arrangements a sequence of fast shots.This is known as mise en scene. This represents a degree of chaos, and highlights the conflict surrounded by the two families. The Prologue is then recited again, this time, by the beggar. As he reads, the words are reinforced by bold, pureness text, on a black background. The contrasting colours could be play up the two families differences. The use of colour in this case black and white, are most likely an deliberate choice, as black and white are both immediate opposites, therefore helping the audience differentiate between text and background.This allows the audience to correlate the friars voice with the text, in spite of the short amount of time in which the text is shown. After the Friar has completed The Prologue, the camera focuses on a family tree, of each family in turn. approximately as soon as it has shown the fam ily trees, the shot becomes engulfed in flames. The flames could convey a message of hatred, rage and anger between the two families. From the flames, a newspaper heading appears, whilst the flames fade. The heading suggests re-occurring violence between both the Montagues and the Capulets, and could also show that the feud is still as slopped as ever.We can then learn that the strongest of the families quarrel lies between the youth of each support. This becomes apparent when the camera focuses on a number of magazines, with the jr. generation of each house on the cover. Baz Lurhman also incorporates the use of magazines, as opposed to tabloids, when referring to the youth, as younger people are usually more associated with magazines. In the next shot, the parents of each house are pictured, accompanied by the actors anatomy and character. In turn, the same happens for every character.This is important, as it allows the audience to differentiate between the members of each fami ly, and who the main roles are. The types of shots depicted are very solemn, except for a character named Paris. He is shown in a happy scene as he is not involved in the feud, whilst every other character is affected, in some way, by the civil conflict. The Prologue concludes with a montage of shots, featured earlier in The Prologue, aswell as a repertoire of emotion-provoking shots, from later in the film. As the closing sequence is shown, shots of fireworks are merged in, to again, establish the theme of chaos.Finally, the title appears, and The Prologue finishes. The final aspect of Baz Luhrmans interpretation, is the Music. Without this particular moment (Carmena Burana), The Prologue would not provoke as many emotions within the audience. This is because as the tempo, and meretriciousness rises beyond forte, Baz secrenises the action scenes to run along side this. He also utilises the piano-pianissimo parts of the piece to again, establish the sonnet. All together, the mus ic adds the element of drama, and strong emotions to the opening scene.