Compare how Zeffirelli and Luhrman direct the ending of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example
Compare how Zeffirelli and Luhrman direct the ending of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

Compare how Zeffirelli and Luhrman direct the ending of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example

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  • Pages: 8 (2113 words)
  • Published: December 3, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Around 1595, William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, a great tragedy that was widely performed in theatres across the world for centuries. However, the last century has seen a steep decline in the popularity of theatre due to advances in technology that led to the success of cinema. With cinema came endless possibilities - no longer restricted to one stage, audiences could now be transported around the world using various shot angles and distances, enhancing emotions through the use of sound, music and special effects. Despite this shift, it was inevitable that Shakespeare's enduring classic love story about the ill-fated "star-crossed lovers" Romeo and Juliet would one day be brought onto the big screen.

There have been numerous efforts to adapt Romeo and Juliet for film, with Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrman being two of the most accomplished directors to accomp

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lish this daunting task. Despite the significant contrasts between the two films' target audiences, settings, and release dates thirty years apart, they both achieved success. In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli, a director from Florence, released his version of Romeo and Juliet. Critics praised the film, which received four Academy Award nominations and two Oscars for Best Cinematography and Costume Design. Zeffirelli took a risk by casting two unknown teenagers; Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussy, who quickly became favorites. The film was popular among the young, countercultural generation of the late 1960s due to its realism, the passion of the lovers, brief nudity, and contemporary feel.

Although many cuts were made to Shakespeare's original dialogue, Zeffirelli strived to keep his film version as faithful as possible to the original play. The filming took place in Italy, where th

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medieval Verona setting that Shakespeare imagined was replicated. The costumes and mannerisms of the characters were reminiscent of the Elizabethan era, giving the impression that Zeffirelli endeavoured to bring a theatrical production of the play to the screen. Almost three decades later, Baz Luhrman offered his unique interpretation of Shakespeare's enduring love story. His adaptation named William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, was a stark contrast to Zeffirelli's version. Luhrman performed a complete remodel of the play with a radical, MTV-style, complete with a predominantly rock soundtrack. The renowned and immensely popular Leonard DiCaprio and Claire Danes starred as the young lovers. Although filmed in vibrant and colourful Mexico City, it was set in late twentieth-century Verona.

Luhrman employed an unconventional approach to appeal to a younger audience by incorporating an innovative urban setting and frequent gun fights. This modern-day backdrop allowed the audience to connect better with the events of the film. Although he did not alter Shakespeare's language, Luhrman removed sections of the script to simplify the plot and intensify the film for the younger target audience. Despite differences in directing styles, both Luhrman and Zeffirelli used similar methods to incite emotions in viewers in their respective adaptations of Romeo and Juliet based on the same play.

In this analysis, I will compare the directing of a common scene in both films where Romeo arrives at the church after learning of Juliet's death. In Luhrmann's version, Romeo enters the church following an intense and dramatic shootout with police. As the church doors close, all noise abruptly ceases- the blaring police sirens, helicopter engines and loud music come to a halt. Romeo's breathing becomes the

only audible sound, creating a sudden shift to an atmosphere filled with apprehension and despair following the chaos and speed of the preceding scene.

Luhrman alters the length and distance of shots and utilises lighting effects to accentuate the transformation. Lengthier shots are introduced to slow down the pace of the movie and almost exclusively concentrate on Romeo's countenance. Close-ups of his face highlight his feelings as he realises that he might witness Juliet's demise. The flashing police lights and helicopter searchlights abruptly give way to the hall's darkness, further accentuating the shift in mood. By exploiting the contrast in atmospheres, Luhrman underlines Romeo's sense of despair.

By using close-ups of Romeo's face and removing both light and sound, the viewer is able to connect with Romeo as he anticipates what is behind the church door. Although Zeffirelli's film does not drastically change the atmosphere upon Romeo's arrival at the church, it still creates a sense of desperation and suspense through the use of darkness and silence. Both Luhrman and Zeffirelli effectively use the absence of sensory elements to help the audience identify with Romeo's emotions.

Luhrman and Zeffirelli's interpretations of Shakespeare's play are highlighted through the contrasting settings depicted in their endings. While Luhrman utilizes a magnificent, bright, modern, monumental church to appeal to the youthful audience of the late '90s, Zeffirelli remains faithful to Shakespeare's intended setting by portraying a dank, dark eerie catacomb. This difference in approach is also reflected in the settings used throughout both films.

Luhrman's goal was to bring the theatrical magic of Romeo and Juliet to a global audience through film, showcasing Shakespeare's genius in its original setting. In his film,

the grand structure is filled with candles and neon-lit crucifixes. The red light produced by the candles may subconsciously evoke emotions associated with the color: anger, death, love, and passion. The crucifixes prompt viewers to contemplate religion, a figure typically associated with conflicting concepts such as love and hate, good and evil. The essence of Romeo and Juliet is to highlight the contrasts and similarities between love and hate, showcasing how these emotions can both be deadly on their own.

The use of crucifixes and red candles during a crucial point in the film can enhance its message and improve the viewer's memory of it. Meanwhile, the catacomb in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is filled with the covered dead bodies of Juliet's ancestors, reminding the audience about the tragic fate of the "star-crossed lovers" foretold in the film's prologue. This builds tension and anticipation for their impending deaths. Despite different settings, both films share a blue color scheme in their respective endings.

Both directors use music to reflect the escalating emotions of Romeo as he approaches Juliet, with the volume and intensity building up. In Luhrman's film, the orchestral music begins quietly as Romeo leaves the hall, with only a few instruments, and gradually more instruments join in as he walks down the aisle of the church, the music reaching its peak as he reaches Juliet. This builds up the viewer's emotional response to Romeo's state, leading them to experience similar emotions such as anger and grief upon realizing Juliet's apparent death. The use of this color emphasizes the sad and tragic nature of the event, adding to the already melancholic atmosphere in the audience. The

similarities between this death scene and a Christian marriage ceremony are notable.

Luhrman and Zeffirelli both use various film techniques to emphasize the intense love between Romeo and Juliet. For instance, in Luhrman's adaptation, Romeo walks down the aisle of the church slowly and tenderly, as a bride would do, to reach Juliet. Juliet is dressed in what appears to be a white wedding dress, and Romeo places her wedding ring on her finger. This similarity highlights the strength of their love and accentuates the point that their love was the reason for their fatal end. The use of close-ups on the young couple at Juliet's deathbed further emphasizes their deeply affectionate relationship, while also amplifying the emotions felt by the living lover. Overall, these filming techniques aid the viewer in understanding the intense emotions felt by Romeo and Juliet, allowing them to identify with the great sense of loss felt by both characters.

By using close-up shots of Romeo and Juliet's expressions, the viewer is forced to focus on the emotions of grief and regret conveyed by their faces, and the closeness of the shot amplifies its impact. Luhrman also employs close-ups of the wedding ring that Romeo gives to Juliet, emphasizing the significance of the action. This emphasis on the symbol of marriage serves as a reminder of the couple's love and intensifies the tragic nature of their situation, evoking sadness and regret in the viewer. Luhrman's close-ups are even tighter than Zeffirelli's. During Zeffirelli's time, cinema was still a recent discovery, and it wasn't necessary to exaggerate film techniques extensively to elicit a response from the audience. However, Luhrman's viewers were more accustomed to

cinema and required more intense atmospheres and emotions to maintain their interest in the film.

Luhrman aimed to trigger a similar response in viewers to Zeffirelli's film, but had to be more daring and ambitious. His use of close-ups is not only to intensify the audience's reactions, but also a departure from Zeffirelli's adherence to the theatrical tradition of Shakespeare's play. While Zeffirelli attempted to maintain theatrical resemblances, close-ups are not feasible in theatre and extremely close close-ups would only distance the film further from this tradition. Therefore, even Zeffirelli's use of close-ups is more complex compared to Luhrman's approach.

Zeffirelli chose to stay faithful to Shakespeare's play, resulting in minimal edits to the original script compared to Luhrman's adaptation. The two directors both removed Paris's murder scene to simplify the ending and appeal to target audiences. However, Luhrman made significant changes and cuts to the script in order to make it more intense and interesting for younger viewers. One notable difference is the exclusion of the friar's return to the church in Luhrman's version, which would have disrupted the intense atmosphere surrounding Juliet's grief. Additionally, Luhrman altered the order in which Romeo's final words are spoken, an editing choice that greatly impacted the film.

Luhrman has made a slight plot change in which Juliet awakens just as Romeo consumes the poison before his death. She discovers that the bottle is now empty and kisses Romeo's lips in the hope of obtaining some of the poison. His last words, "Thus with a kiss I die," are spoken at this point, unlike in the original text and Zeffirelli's adaptation where they are uttered prior to Juliet's awakening. Luhrman employs

this alteration to heighten frustration among viewers by emphasizing how close Romeo and Juliet came to a happy ending, ultimately amplifying the tragedy of the film. Romeo's death is expertly directed to further magnify viewer frustration, with close-ups of Juliet's twitching hands signaling her awakening while Romeo remains unaware.

By using close-up shots, the importance of certain actions is emphasized and the viewer is given a glimmer of hope. This hope stems from the possibility of Juliet awakening and the couple living happily ever after. However, the dramatic shot of just Juliet's eyes opening as Romeo swallows the poison adds to the viewer's frustration. The abrupt contrast between hope and dismissal magnifies this frustration even more. Through this, Luhrman manipulates the viewer's emotions in order to strengthen their feelings towards the young couple and increase their interest in the film. Both Luhrman and Zeffirelli utilize different methods to intensify the tension leading up to Juliet's suicide.

Luhrman employs a combination of film techniques to heighten the tension surrounding Juliet's demise. By withholding non-diagetic sound for nearly two minutes following Romeo's death, he creates a palpable silence that is punctuated only by Juliet's sobs and her handling of Romeo's gun. This silence serves to underscore the gravity of the situation, as viewers are compelled to focus on the sounds that do occur. Juliet's weeping, for instance, conveys her grief and anguish at being separated from her spouse, and the audience is likely to share in her sadness. Additionally, Luhrman employs close-ups and slow-motion shots of the weapon being handled, which further emphasizes its significance.

Juliet's plan to end her life is revealed in slow motion shots that create an

atmosphere of tension and suspense. The sound of the gun being loaded and the gradual movement of Juliet towards her head as she prepares to shoot herself builds anticipation for the moment of her death. Despite expecting it, the sudden loud sound of the gunshot may startle viewers. Director Luhrman employs a bird's eye view to present the dead couple as if viewed from a heavenly perspective, interspersed with flashbacks of their happiest moments together, reminding audiences that their love led to their tragic end. The background music is not somber, but rather joyous, indicating that Romeo and Juliet are happy to be reunited in death rather than alive but separated.

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