Romeo and Juliet’s first scene where Romeo meets Juliet is essential for all plays, as their history is beginning. Romeo met Juliet at the ball organized by Lord Capulet, the head of Juliet’s family, a rival to Romeo’s family Montague. They have a short talk, during which they feel sympathy for each other and kiss each other (Shakespeare, 2004). The scene from the film Romeo Must Die, where Han met Trish first, has similarities despite meeting in the car. Han, who fled from prison, was pretending to be a taxi driver and drove Trish; they had a short talk, where it can be seen that they became very interested in each other, despite not even touching each other. Those scenes mark the beginning of love stories in the center of both narratives.
The second scene, which I have found noteworthy, is the end scene, which is tragic for the lovers. Romeo finds Juliet in her family crypt, presumably dead, although, in reality, she was sleeping deeply from the potent sleeping potion. He, in despair, kills himself with poison; Juliet, when awakened, sees that and kills herself with Romeo’s dagger. Their families reconcile on the basis of common woe (Shakespeare, 2004). In the film, Trish met Han close to his house, where his father had committed suicide, and hugged him; the film ended as Trish and Han walked together. It can be concluded that, in the case of the original Romeo and Juliet, the main heroes are dying, but their families reconcile. Contrary to that, in the case of Romeo Must Die, the main heroes are alive, but their family members are dying or suffering.
The first film’s scene is portrayed not very clearly: Trish meets Han in the taxi, and it is unclear what will be next and what to expect, compared with a bright scene of Romeo and Juliet’s first meeting. The second scene, the last of the film, is portrayed much better: the consequences of each hero’s actions can be seen clearly, and the film ends with the main heroes walking together, happy in their love. Romeo and Juliet are important for all times because it shows the archetypical plot of love, tragic due to the hostile environment. This plot evokes emotions in people, as they can easily feel themselves in the place of the heroes, both primary and secondary.
Reference
Shakespeare, W. (2004). Romeo and Juliet (Folger Shakespeare Library) (B. A. Mowat & P. Westrine, Eds.; Annotated ed.). Simon & Schuster.
William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet was first published in 1597. The play tells the story of two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, whose families are feuding, and therefore despite their love, they are both caught up in the ensuing conflict. Both Romeo and Juliet end up dead at the end of the play following a series of misunderstandings occasioned by the continued fights between their families (The Literature Network Para. 7). Romeo belongs to the Montague family while Juliet is born of the Capulet family.
There have been several film adaptations of the play but the film adaptation referred to here was produced in 1968, under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli. The film, going by the name “Romeo and Juliet” just like the play, starred Leonard Whiting as Romeo Montague, and Olivia Hussey as Juliet Capulet.
This film adaptation, unlike most of the others which were produced in later years, depicts the families, lifestyle, practices, and acts as portrayed in the play, and does not adopt a ‘modern’ version of events as many of the subsequent films want to do (Rothwell 326). The director makes every effort to depict an era similar to that intended by Shakespeare.
In most cases, the written text of a play has variations from any movie adaptation. The written texts of any play contain stage directions that serve as a guide for the reader. Although stage directions in the text of a play tend to give the reader a clearer and better understanding of the setting, they can also be interruptive for the reader.
As the plot of the play develops and the reader gets more involved in the reading of the play, the constant need to read the stage directions has a disruptive effect on the reader’s interaction with the play. Film adaptations of plays, as is the case of this particular film adaptation by Franco Zeffirelli, eliminate the part of stage directions, and the viewer is able to enjoy an uninterrupted revelation of the plot of the play.
In this film version of Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zeffirelli, the director has altered, removed, or re-created several scenes. In the play, when Paris faces up Romeo outside the tomb, he executes Paris. The film version does not however portray this part and the entire scene in Act 5 of the play is conspicuously missing in the film.
Since Romeo is the one that kills Paris in an effort to get to his ‘dead’ wife Juliet, the murder of Paris casts him in bad light, and may deny him the sympathy of the viewer. The film thus omits this act of murder so that Romeo may experience the full sympathy of the viewer of the film.
The series of actions preceding Juliet’s swallowing of the sleeping potion has also been altered in the film. In the play, Juliet delivers a long monologue prior to taking the sleeping potion, communicating her fears, her hopes, and her love for Romeo to the audience. However, in the film, Juliet simply swallows the sleeping potion without much ado, simply asking for strength in love before taking the portion.
The film version reduces Juliet’s monologue because of several purposes. Since she proceeds to take the potion anyway, the need for a long speech beforehand may have seemed unnecessary in the eyes of the director. Therefore, there is an element of directive license in this instance. Secondly, in the film, the single sentence by Juliet comes across as very powerful and memorable; the phrase by Juliet asking for strength from love is memorable and is more poignant, and the viewer’s emotional connection with the character/actor is enhanced.
A similar directorial edit occurs in the scenes of the play concerning Romeo’s acquisition of the poison that he takes and finally dies after believing Juliet to be dead. In the text of the play, Romeo purchases the deadly poison from an apothecary, and proceeds to insert it in his pockets. In the film, the scene where Romeo acquires the poison is entirely missing. Therefore, when Romeo is distraught by his lover Juliet’s side, and believes her to be dead, he appears to unleash the poison from his pockets and drinking it with ease.
The element of surprise and a need to create suspense informs the director’s deletion of the scene of Romeo acquiring the poison. In the play, when Romeo buys the poison, the reader can predict, to a certain extent, his next cause of action since he believes that Juliet is dead. Since he has already bought the poison, his devastation at seeing his ‘dead’ wife can easily lead him to take the poison and commit suicide.
In the film, the audience does not see Romeo buy the toxicant; therefore, the audience remains in suspense, not knowing what Romeo would do next. The viewer is unsure of Romeo’s next course of action after his wrong perception of Juliet’s death. The deletion of the scene that shows Romeo purchasing the poison thus enhances the suspense in the film version of the play to the very end.
Additionally, in the text of the play, Romeo’s friend Mercutio dies away from Romeo’s presence, but in the film he dies in the presence of Romeo. Mercutio here plays a role of a very loyal friend, because he dies while defending the honor of his friend, Romeo.
Romeo cannot accept the challenge of Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, because unknown to Tybalt, Romeo has just married Juliet. Romeo thus has his reservations on dueling with his wife’s cousin. Mercutio, ever a loyal friend, steps in on behalf of his friend, but he unfortunately dies in the ensuing battle.
In the play, another friend, Benvolio, leads Mercutio out of the stage, thus he dies out of Romeo’s sight. In the film however, he dies in the presence of Romeo and the scene is quite powerful as Romeo mourns the death. The reason for altering this scene in the film to make Mercutio die in the presence of Romeo is thus to powerfully project the sense of sacrifice of Mercutio, and to convey Romeo’s grief more powerfully.
Various characters in the play are dead or are said to be dead, but are alive in similar circumstances in the film. In the play, Romeo’s mother dies from the shock of her son’s excommunication from the city, but in the film, she does not die and even attends the funeral of her son and Juliet.
Rosaline, an earlier love interest of Romeo, comes up in the film even though she does not appear anywhere in the play. Giving Rosaline a face settles the curiosity of the viewer, since she spurns the interest of Romeo, and thus her character and looks are important for the viewer.
In conclusion, the decision to adopt a play into film always carries the burden of the level of creative license the director should employ. The film should also allow the reader to make his or her own conclusions (Halio 323).
The film should ultimately tell a similar story to the play, but should also incorporate elements that will make the entire efforts worthwhile and enriching. Franco Zeffirelli’s film provides a different angle to one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet, thus enriching the viewer’s sense of understanding of the play, even for those who may have previously read/watched the play.
Works Cited
Halio, Jay. “Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet: The Camera versus the Text.” Literature Film Quarterly 5.4 (1977): 322-326.
Rothwell, Kenneth. “Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet: Words into Picture and Music.” Literature Film Quarterly 5.4 (1977): 326-331.
William Shakespeare is deservedly considered the most excellent English-speaking writer and one of the best playwrights in the world and may be called the national poet of England. His tragedy Romeo and Juliet is a creative interpretation of a story already present in literature. One of the most striking themes can be identified as the fragility yet sturdiness of love, which despite the obstacles, does not give up until the end and wins in a world with hatred.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
The central theme of the work is the struggle with society and circumstances for their feeling of two loving people, love and death. The play is formed in a circular composition, built on parallel confrontations in all five acts. The tragedy of these confrontations is revealed by the duration of the enmity of the Capulet and Montague families – they completely hate each other, and this applies to several generations: “From auncient grudge, breake to new mutinie…” (Shakespeare, 2018, p.133). However, this does not prevent the young offspring of both families from meeting, falling in love, and secretly marrying each other. The romance, passion, and intrigue in this keep the reader or viewer enthralled.
In addition to the importance of love and the value of human life, this play raises the problem of parents not understanding their children. The animosity of the clans cannot be ended even for the sake of their heirs, and the bond between them only fuels the anger: “And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” (Shakespeare, 2018, 215). On a separate note, neither the Capulets nor the Montagues even remember the original reason for the quarrel, which makes their feud all the more pointless. Only the death of Romeo and Juliet opens their eyes to the horror of the whole situation, and a truce ensues.
Original Stage Interpretations
The play has been staged on stages all over the world for several hundred years in its original interpretation with minor changes. Most of the lines are spoken rather quickly, which corresponds to the overall dynamic flow of the plot and does not contribute to the lingering complexity of the original text. Many modern viewers may find the Shakespearean language challenging to grasp, and a more measured approach to the dialogues might allow for a better focus. However, being overstretched could cause the play to extend and disrupt the dynamic, negatively affecting the audience’s reaction. Nevertheless, this play has been performed consistently on stages at all levels, from high school theater clubs to the world’s most famous theaters.
Costumes, props, and decorations in classical productions of the play try to match those described. In the modern world, the opportunity to plunge into an era of long-gone historical periods is of particular interest and adds to the atmosphere and authenticity of the production. Although theater’s popularity today is much less than it used to be, many people can attest to the presence of their own experience of watching this tragedy in a stage performance.
Baz Luhrmann’s Interpretation
The main difference between Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and the usual stage version is undoubtedly in the setting. However, when the action is transferred to the modern world, the lines of the original work do not change, and although they are not present in the film in full, they remain recognizable (Luhrmann, 1996). The effectiveness of this interpretation can be seen in everything from the minor details to the perfect rendering of the fragility and yet rock solidity of love as the work’s central idea.
The dialogues in this film are fast, but only in places where they are allowed to be fast. The intimate and dramatic scenes are presented to the viewer in a slower and more sensual form. The costumes, musical accompaniment, and characters, with a modern entourage, retain references to the original time of the work. For example, the main characters’ costumes at the masquerade ball are reminiscent of the chivalrous times in which Shakespeare lived and wrote (Luhrmann, 1996). Romeo’s costume symbolizes the knight in shining armor, Juliet’s angelic purity, and Tybalt is evil in the form of the devil: “As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” (Shakespeare, 2018, p.147). Symbolism can be seen even in the details; although all the weapons are modern, their fictitious brands denote the kinds of weapons from the time the play was written; even in the license plates of the cars, one can see references to the original.
The music is chosen quite well and does an excellent job of evoking the viewer’s emotions. It is a significant advantage compared to classic standard productions, usually accompanied by music from Shakespeare’s time, a recognized classic. Many modern people might find this kind of music boring despite its authenticity, and the director probably understood this when choosing modern tracks for his film.
Differences in the Primary Message Understanding
For all the cosmetic differences and the adaptation of the setting to modernity, the basic message of the work is left with the same role and the same meaning. In changing the method of communicating the value of this work to the audience, Baz Luhrmann has allowed minor deviations from the original plot while retaining key markers. Modifying the monk’s role into a holy father does not deprive it of some magical component and remains an anchor in this interpretation. Only the nurse and her role is not fully revealed in the film, perhaps to simplify the audience’s perception. However, the third main anchor, Mercutio, is revealed, albeit unusually, but very decently, and the psychotropic substances he gives Romeo also correspond to the modern understanding of the mystical experience.
The fragility of love in this work is contrasted with its hardness – it can be compared in quality and beauty to a cut diamond. Much of the negativity and animosity in the film, as in the original, is due to the originally specifically exaggerated militancy of the Italians to the point of being comical, a prejudice from when it was written. The play’s final moments always make one think and appreciate the author’s idea of love’s invincibility and healing power if even such vivid opposition has been defeated by it: “A glooming peace this morning with it brings.” (Shakespeare, 2018, p.344). The essence of the opposition of love and hate is relevant, except that malice and enmity have no chance to win.
Despite the deaths of the main characters, love lives on. Due to this, the very idea of love’s fragility is questioned in Baz Luhrmann’s film and any other interpretation: “Thou art not conquered.” (Shakespeare, 2018, p.331). The outcome of the tragedy of the last scene is unpredictable but potentially real and terrible. However, the truce symbolically concluded over the dead young lover’s bodies should dilute the viewer’s bitterness and leave them with hope.
Conclusion
This unique work can teach how to love sincerely and not to give up, to fight for one’s happiness to the very end. Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation, while retaining almost all of the original lines and events, makes it possible to better understand the play’s meaning by transferring it to the modern setting. This interpretation may be more exciting and understandable for young people or people who are not interested in dramaturgy. The making of this film helped to expand the circle of admirers of Shakespeare’s work and emphasize the importance of deep human relationships.