BazLuhrmann'sRomeo+Juliet
EdwardHren
Collegeof DuPage
BazLuhrmann'sRomeo+Juliet byEdward Hren
illiamShakespearewouldnotonlyapproveofBazLuhrmann’s1996film“Romeo+ Juliet”, amodernfilmadaptationof hisThe Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet(firstprintingin1597),buthewouldenjoyitaswell.Inthefour
hundredyearsplusthatpassedbetweenwhentheBard’staleofstarcross’dloverswasfirsttoldto audiencesandpeoplelinedupattheirlocalmultiplexesandvideostorestoseeLuhrmann’s translation,alothadchanged.ThepremisethatShakespearewouldindeedenjoythefilmcomeswith onesimpleandobviouscaveat.Underthishypothetical,thehypotheticalWilliamwouldhavetobe
uptodateoncurrentpopculture.ImagineayoungstercomingtoShakespeareforthefirsttimein thisdayandageandhowdifficultitistograspitearlyon.Thisfilmwouldbethesamethingfor
him.Shakespeare’sheadmightexplodeatthesightofamoviescreenletaloneahomeentertainment centerrepletewithaDVDplayerandsurroundsound.Thefilmisacuttingedgesliceofmodernity, evenaheadofitstime,soitisdefinitelylightyearsaheadofShakespeare’s.Withthataside,
however,Shakespearewouldappreciatethehomagetohisplayashewasseenassomewhatofa renegade,muchlikeLuhrmann.Thefilm’sinclusionofoutstandingmusicwouldappealto Shakespeare’s sensibilities as well. OverallShakespearewould see thatthrough allthe glitz and slick productionvalues,Luhrmannnotonlypresentedhisoriginalthemesbutilluminatedthemtenfoldso contemporaryaudiences couldunderstandandbetouchedbythemasmuchasElizabethan
audienceswerebackinthedaysoftheGlobeTheatre.Beyondallofthis,thereareafewmoreroad blocksWilliamShakespearewouldneedtogetovertoseethemovieinapositivelight.
TheissuesShakespearemighttakewiththefilmmayseemsmallbutsurelytheywouldcome up.Besidessettingtheplayinaplacecalled“VeronaBeach”,shootingthefilmwithquick,MTV stylecutsanduppingthefirepowerofthecharactersfromswordstoguns,Shakespearewouldhave
toresignhimselftothefactthatampledialogueandevenfullsceneswouldneedtobecutorhave thecontextcompletelychanged.Luhrmannobviouslythoughtthatthemasseswouldneedthestory wrappedupinprettybowsandmodernfrivolityinordertoacceptit.Luhrmannalsoknewthatit wouldneedtocomeinattwohoursorlessandbechockfullofactionfromstarttofinish. Shakespearewouldneedtounderstandthatthedirectorknewthepotentialaudiences’preferencesof filmandtailoredhisvision,wonderfully,tothem. Contextually,whenRomeoisfirstseeninthe film,Luhrmannneededawaytoshowhismonologueswithouthavinghimtalkingtohimself,sohe wasmadeintoapoet.Luhrmann’sRomeowasalwaysscribblingShakespeare’smorepoeticlinesin anotebook.Thisaddedatouchofcomedyattimes.Forinstance,theaudienceseesRomeowriting thelines“Oheavylightness,seriousvanity.Misshapenchaosofwellseemingforms(etc.)”and whenheregurgitatesthemtoBenvoliowhoisspeakingplainlywhiletheywatchnewsreportson televisionthatfeatureBenvolioandtheopeningfightscene,itpromptshim tolaughatRomeo’s
fancyeloquence.Benvolio’ssnickeringthenpromptsRomeo’sline“Dostthounotlaugh?”Towhich hiscousinrepliesinaheavymodernstreetslangvoice“No,coz,Iratherweep.”Luhrmannalsotakes libertywiththesequenceofsomeofShakespeare’slines.Theselibertiesalwaysseemedtoaddtothe storyLuhrmannwastryingtotellandenhanceShakespeare’smessageswithoutchangingoradding anyoutsidedialogue.
Oneofthemanyscenesthatdrippedwithemotioninthefilmsawbothmajordialoguecuts andacontextchangethatdivertedfromShakespeare’soriginalversion.Mercutio’sQueenMab
speechwascutinhalfanddeliveredwithvoraciouspassion,andindrag,inthesceneleadingupto theCapuletball.InitMercutiooffersRomeoapsychedelicpill.AfterthespeechRomeotakesit, assuredbyMercutio’sunderstandingofthepowerofdreams.AsRomeoentersthefatefulparty,he prematurelydeliverstheline“drugsarequick”,whichisoneofhisfinallinesinShakespeare’s publishedversion.ItisjustafterheuttersthislinethathefirstseesJuliet,markingthebeginningof theirloveandofhisdeath.Luhrmann’slineshiftwasnotjustacaseofhimtakingpoeticlicense,it wasanaidinupdatingthesceneandchargingtheline’smeaningwithdualityandforeboding. AnothercaseofscenedeletionwasRomeo’sfinalfightwithParis.Thefilm’sParis,playedbyPaul Ruddasagoofy,yuppiesenatorDaveParis,wasameresidenoteintheshadowsofRomeoand Juliet’sallpowerfulloveandthereforedidnotwarrantShakespeare’sfinalshowdown.Therewere manycutsandchangesbutinthefinalproduct,allwerenecessaryinLuhrmann’svision. Shakespearewouldprobablygraspthisbetterthanmostandabideitwell.
WilliamShakespearewasknowninhistimeassomewhatofarenegade.Herevolutionized thetheatreforevermore.Luhrmann’sfilmadaptationandcountlessothersareatestamenttothat. When Romeo and Julietwasfirststaged,itwaswellknownthatQueenElizabethhadastrong distastefordueling(Botnick1996),soShakespeareuppedtheviolence.In1595arrangedmarriages
werethenormandtheplaytookaverystrongstandagainstthem(Botnick1996).Alittleknownfact isthatthebestsellingworkofShakespeare’sinhislifetimewasnotaplaybutaneroticpoemcalled Venus and Adonis.Itsoldmainlytoyoungmenandwaswrittenatatimewhentheatreswereclosed duetoplague.Hesoldsex,basically,becausehewasrunningoutofmoneywiththetheatresclosed. ParamountwithhisstatusofrebelwasShakespeare’sstatusofinnovator.Hecoined1700new Englishwordsinhisworks.Acoupleofthemoresuccessfulonesbeing“addiction”and“priceless” (Dickson2009).Shakespearewasalsothefirstplaywrighttoreallydelveintopsychologically identifyinghischaracters.Charactersofthedaywerereducedtomerestereotypesandsymbolswhile Shakespeare’swereoftenprovidedabackstoryanddepththroughhiswriting.Overtime,becauseof thesedramatic,characterbuilding techniques, Shakespeare’scharactersaremuchmorevividand memorablethananyotherplaywrightofhistime(Grolier1996). Withthesecredentialsasacutting edgeartist,ShakespearewouldsurelyseeinLuhrmannakindredspirit.
Luhrmannisalsoconsideredanoutsiderandinnovatorbyhispeersbasedonhiswork.His mostsuccessfulfilmtodateis“MoulinRouge”whichmarriesthetaleofapoetand19thcentury Frenchwhorewithcontemporarymusicalnumbers.Itwasagreatsuccessdespitebeingnothinglike themainstreammultiplexdrawsoftoday.ThepreviouslymentionedlibertyLuhrmanntookwith Romeo’sdrugfueledpartysceneisanexampleofjustoneextensionofShakespeare’srebellious naturetohisown.Luhrmann’stakeonwhatisShakespeare’smostwellknownsceneintheplayand oneofthebestknownscenesofalltime,thebalconyscene,maybethebiggestofallriskshetookin makingthefilm.Shakespeare’ssceneisperfection.Atestamenttoitswonderfulportrayalofthe youngloverspromisingthemselvestoeachother,despiteeverythingthatgoesagainstit,isthefact thatitenduresthese400yearslaterandisseenasatemplateinthatanyscenewithabalconyinit,in anymedium,automaticallyinspiresthoughtsofRomeo and Juliet.HereiswhereLuhrmann’s Shakespeareanrenegadestreakasafilmmakercomestothefore.Onceagain,bycompletely changingallbutthewords,henotonlyretainstheoriginalsenseofoverwhelmingromanceinthe scene,butenhancesitforamoderngeneration.
Juliet’sroomoverlooksanopulentswimmingpool.Yes,thereisatrellisleadinguptoa balcony,butconventiondoesnotsitwellwithLuhrmann.First,theaudienceseesahightechsecurity boothwithaguardpassivelywatchingmonitorsfocusedonJuliet’sbalconyandthepoolareabelow. HedoesnotseeRomeowhohasbegunhisdialoguetohimself.Thenthebalconyisseenbutthe audienceissurprisedwheninsteadofJuliet,thenurseisseenpeakingoutonthebalcony.Romeois halfwayupthetrelliswhensheappears,brieflyscaringhim,andthenJulietarrives;shecomesouton thegroundfloorfromanelevator.JulietdeliversherlinesasRomeofollowsbehindher,closerand
closer,listening.WhenRomeofinallyspeaksheispracticallyontopof herandinherfrightthey toppleovereachotherintotheromanticallylitpool.Twicethesecurityguardisshowncheckingthe monitorsbuttheheroesareunderwaterandunseen.Whenaguardfinallyappearspoolsidetocheck onwhatheheard,RomeosubmergesandtheguardisseenlookinglustilyatasoppingwetJuliet beforeleavingheralone.RomeoandJulietdeliveramajorityoftheirfamousdiscoursewitheach otherinthepool,floating,orbitingoneanother.JustbeforethenursecallsJulietinthetwotakea finalplungeandsharealongunderwaterkiss.Theshotisbeautifullylitandinslowmotion. Luhrmannchangesoneofthemostfamousscenesinhistoryforthesakeofheighteningthealready groundbreakingsexualityandromanticismitincludes.Attheplayandfilm’scoreislove.While Luhrmann’sversionhasenhanced,spedupandhasmoreflashyactionandviolence,theromanceis equallymoreintenseduetohisrisktaking.Shakespeare,ofallpeople,wouldnoticethat.
Oneotherstand-outsequencethathasLuhrmann’sfingerprintsalloverit,intensifyingthe Bard’sintentionsandthuspleasinghimposthumously,hypothetically,isMercutio’sslayingparlayed intoRomeo’srevengeoverthe“PrinceofCats.”ThesceneinwhichthenursecomestoseeRomeo whenhe’swithhisfriends,betweenthefilmandplay,isrelativelysimilar.Inthemovietheyare hangingoutatthebeachandwhenthenursearrivestheyteaseatherbutLuhrmannchangesitby
havingMercutiofirehisgunintotheair.Themusic,theloudcarryingonbythemen,thebeach sounds,everythinggoessilent.MortalseriousnessisestablishedasMercutiosoberlydeliverstheline “Romeo,will youcometoyourfather’s?We’lldinnertither”.Thegunshotkillsthewhimsyas LuhrmannshowsthatMercutioknowsthedangerouspathhisfriendiswalkingdownwiththenurse. Thisshowstheviewersasideofthephilosophicalparty-boynotyetseen.Mercutio,inthisscene, showsadeepandabidingloveforRomeoandgenuineconcernforhiswelfare.Twosceneslater Mercutio’sbloodabsolutelyboilswhenTybaltarrivesatthebeachinsearchofRomeo.Becauseof theprevioussceneMercutio’spassionisunderstoodandbelievedwhenheintercedesinRomeo’s favorasTybaltbeatshisnew(albeitunknown)in-law.MercutiowailsonTybaltsoundlybefore
beingstabbedbyhishiddenswitchblade.Mercutiothenfallsbackintohiscomedianmodewiththe
“lookformetomorrowandyoushallfindmeagraveman”linesbutthenbringsbackthepassion, tingedwithspite,spitting“AplagueO’bothyourhouses!”Quickcut,flashclose-upsonRomeoand Tybalt’sfaces,astormgathersandMercutiodies;soonaftertheyareseenintheircars,tearingoff aftereachotherthroughdowntownVeronaBeach.Afantasticcollisioninthecenterofthecityand Tybalt’sgunfallsoutofhisoverturnedcar.AllthisinsanityinsteadofShakespeare’sRomeoand BenvoliodiscussingwhatjusthappeneduntilTybalt’sreturn.Alldialogueiscut,andthenreentersas bothmenpickuptheguninthepouringrain,Tybalt’sfingeronthetriggerandRomeo,onhisknees, holdingtheotherendandpointingthebarrelstraightathisownheadscreamsthreetimes“EitherI,
orthou,orbothmustgowithhim!”ThisspooksTybaltsomuchthathedropsthegunandstaggers back.RomeoisshownpickingupthegunandunloadingthewholechamberonTybalt.Romeois
seethingasTybaltdies.Thesescenescouldneverbecapturedthiswayonstageyettheyrepresent
Shakespeare’sideas soclearly.
AsforLuhrmann’sskillforcharacterdevelopment,itisonparwithShakespeareforfully developing thempsychologically.TakeBrian Dennehy’s Lord Montague.Heis worried and depressedovernotunderstandinghispoetson.Montagueisplayedalwaysslouchedoverandsadin histuxedo,almostresignedtoRomeo’sultimatefatefromthestart.PaulSorvinofillstheroleof Lord Capuletwith relishas a drunken, depravedand angrymillionaire whodoes not take refusals wellatall.WhenJuliettellshimshedoesnotwishtomarryParishethrowshertothegroundvery violentlywhilescreaminghislines.ThishelpspunctuateJuliet’ssimilarlydrunken,socialitemother whensherespondstoherdaughter’spleaforhelpdirectlyafterwardswith“Talknottome,forI’ll
notspeakaword.Doasthouwilt,forIhavedonewiththee.”Butthemaincharacters,ofcourse,are themostdeveloped.Luhrmannactuallyliterallysetsthemapartfromthefray.Intheirfourmain, lengthyscenes together,LeonardoDiCaprio’s Romeo andClaire Danes’ Juliet are separatedfrom all
thecommotiongoingonaround,andbecauseof,them.First,attheCapuletballtheyareenclosed,
forthemostpart,inanelevator.Hidingfromeveryoneelseastheyfirstkissandflirtwitheachother. Next,intheaforementioned“balconyscene”whichactuallytakesplaceinapoolandunderwater
theyarealoneandprotectedbythewater.Thethirdtimetheyarealonetogethertheyusethesheets oftheirmarriagebedtohideandavoidthelightofthenewdayinwhichRomeoistobeginhis banishment.Finally,ontheirdeathmantel,theyaresurroundedbyhundredsofcandlesandmany
neonlitcrosses.ThereisnoPariscorpseeveninthisversion,theyarealoneandsurroundedonce more.
Quickly,afewmoreliberties,tricksanddevisesallcleverlyusedinthefilmthatShakespeare wouldcertainlynoticeandappreciate.WhenMr.Montagueasksforhis“longsword”heishandeda gunandthecameraquicklyflashestothebrandofgunanditis“Longsword”.Theapothecaryis basicallyatenementjunkydrugdealer.ThefightingbetweentheyoungMontaguesandCapuletsall overtownisakintogangwarsandiscoveredbythemediaandsplashedalloverheadlinesand televisionnewsreports.Thechiefofpoliceiscalled“CaptainPrince”.HeshoutsnewsofRomeo’s banishmentoverabullhorn.Signsfor“MontagueOil”arealloverandinthecenterofthis industrialized,fictitiouscitytowerstwoskyscrapers,sidebyside,loudlybilledastheCapuletand
Montaguebuildings.Mantuaisatrailerparkinthedesert.Inaveryrelatabletwistfortoday’s viewers,itisaUPS-typedeliverysystemthatflubstheFriar’slettertoMantua.Thefilmopensand closeswithablackscreen framingatelevisionset.Anewsanchordeliversboththeprologueandthe famousfinalline“ForneverwasastoryofmorewoethanthisofJulietandherRomeo”.Someone whohadtofillthefemalerolesofmeninhisproductionswouldsurelyappreciatethesedirectorial slightsof hand.
Anotherparallelbetweenthetwoauteursistheirknowledgeandunderstandingof contemporarymusic.ItisbelievedthatShakespeareusedcontemporarymusicsettingsbyThomas Morleyforthelyric“OMistresseMine”inTwelfthNight(OnlineShakespeare2003). Itisalso possibletoplacemuchcontemporarymusicandinstrumentationofthetimetoA Midsummer Night’s
Dream(OnlineShakespeare2003).Lurhmann’sgraspofcontemporarymusicissortofhiscalling card.Asinhishit“MoulinRouge”,“Romeo+Juliet”featuresnotjustbeautifullyarrangedmelodies thathelpnotchtheromanticismupalevel,butsongsbysuchtalentedandwellrespectedbutnot vanilla,mainstream acts as Radiohead and The ButtholeSurfers. Shakespearewould weep at the lovelinessofsomemusicinthefilmandgyratetothefuriousnessofothersbuthewouldalsomarvel at thewaythey all fit so well.
Thismovieisindependent,anti-authoritarianandrebellious,forthisalone,Shakespeare wouldadoreit.ThefactthatLuhrmannnotonlykeptShakespeare’sthemesbutmadethemexplode inthefacesofanewaudiencewhoneedsthingstoexplodeintheirfacestofullyunderstandthem, wouldleaveShakespearegrinningeartoearthathismessageisbeingtoldyet,solidifyinghis
immortality.Histhemeofageversusyouth,socontroversialinhistimeistackledwithvoracityin themovie.TheseyoungMontaguesandCapuletsareallbutgivingthefingertotheentirecivilized worldthatsurroundsthem.Carchasesandshootouts,crossdressing,drugusageandofcourse,a marriageforbiddenbyviolencealldonewithalmostnonoticeoftheparentsorauthorities.Notonly wouldShakespearenotmindtheslicingofhisdialogueandscenesonceheseeshowtheyplayout, hewouldcheerLuhrmannonupontherealizationthatthechangeswereimperativetothetransfer fromthepageandstagetothebigscreen.Shakespearewouldrevelinthefactthathisstorywastold
byafellowrenegadeandinnovator.WhileBazLuhrmannmayhaveneveractuallycreatedwords,he hasreworkedandrewrittentouchstonemusicalpiecessothattheysoundliketheywerecreatedfor
hismoviesrightdowntothesceneandthesecondheusedthemin.WilliamShakespearewouldlove
thisfilmbecauseitisbeautifulbutmostlyhewouldlovethatthefilmmadeyoungpeopletodaysee thebeautyinhisstory.
For his masses, and in conclusion Luhrmann’s vision allays confusion Tho not precisely notefor note
T’is,andmoreclear,whattheBardwrote
WouldWilliamShakespeareApproveofBazLuhrmann’sFilm“Romeo+Juliet?
EddieHren
TheatreApp.Tues.PM
“Butaboveeverythingelse,[WilliamShakespeare]hadtodealwithacityof400,000people andatheatrethatheld4,000andeveryonefromthestreetsweeperupwards.Notunlikeyourlocal Cineplex,andheusedeverythingpossibletoarrestandstopthataudience-reallybawdycomedyand then,wham!Somethingreallybeautifulandpoetic.EverythingwedidinRomeo+Juliet(1996)was basedonElizabethanShakespeare.ThefactthattherewaspopmusicinitwasaShakespearean
thing.Wewouldbefearlessaboutthelownessofthecomedy”–(BazLuhrmann)
WorksCited
Luhrmann, Baz.“BazLuhrmannQuotes and TriviaatMovie Tome.”Movietome.Web.
Romeo + Juliet.Dir.BazLuhrmann.Perf.LeonardoDiCapirio,ClaireDanes,andPetePostlewaite.
20thCenturyFox, 1996. Film.