There have been many romantic films made in the past as well as now in the present, from Wuthering

Heights to Pretty Woman. But, one of the most of all films is the story of Romeo and Juliet. It is safe to
say that most people are familiar with this story. A couple so determined to be

together, up tragically in the arms of one another because of their feuding

families. Today, a new director attempts to recreate this Shakespearean story by

adding a little of his on twists to it. Using the same dialogue as Shakespeare,

this director sets the story in modern times. Romeo and Juliet, the movie,

gives audience in the twentieth century a taste of a new and mystical flavor

to this well-known love story.

The setting of Romeo and Juliet, as expected, was totally different from other settings in the past. This
setting, however, was not necessarily set in way of how people today would live. The story was set more
fantasy- like. Because of the setting, the deaths of the people in this movie did not

seem as moving as to the old movies. For some reason, the setting of Mercurial’s death

interfered with this supposedly poetic scene. A broken down stage on a

sandy beach does not seem to fit well together. The setting seemed pretty

artificial. Also, the scene when one of the Montague’s died at the gas station did

not seems depressing as would be if any other person was to die. This scene

was the opening one so, the audience could have been distracted by the dialogue

and therefore, not paying attention to the death to much. In the beginning of the movie, it was hard to
adjust to the dialogue with the atmosphere. The dialogue was way on the other side of the

timeline compared to the setting. Some of the audience was even laughing.

Perhaps that was why it was so difficult to follow the movie with all those

distractions. What was quite remarkable about this movie was how the director

incorporated today's problems and events with the old Shakespearean

dialogue. For instance, swords were used in the olden days. Now, the proper

weapon would be guns. The director also included what a teenager, today, would do

taking drugs, playing pool, and going to parties. Overall, the director must have wanted the audience to
view this
Movie as an entirely new and different one compared to the old ones. It is

hard not to make comparisons, but if one treats this contemporary Romeo and Juliet as an

entirely separate movie, then perhaps one would appreciate it more for

its creativity. If people were to watch this movie like any regular movie

and not think of it as the original Shakespeare story, then perhaps the

watchers would enjoy it more.

The new release of Romeo and Julietis fun, fast and exciting

to watch.

It is a slick cinematic rendition of Shakespeare's work brought to the

screen

for contemporary movie-goers.There is something for everyone in this

movie. A

timeless story, a dynamic cast, a hip soundtrack, great sets and

costumes and

plenty of action.From the beginning the audience is told," buckle up,

this

Romeo and Julietride is going to be like no other Shakespeare you've

ever

ridden."This movie supports the notion that the stage is an actor's

medium and

the cinema is the director's.Romeo and Julietis a feast for the

eyes and

does a great job of engaging the audience with the story at all times

through
various cinematic techniques and tricks which make understanding

Shakespeare fun,

interesting, fresh and easy.

Visually dynamic, and edited with a sense of urgency, most movie-

goers will

get caught up in the story and forget that they are listening to the

Bard. It

is Shakespeare's words and text, however, the sights and sounds are as

clearly,

possibly overshadowing, telling the same parallel story.One could say

that

there are visually emotional subtitles throughout the movie directing

the

audience to understand and engage in the most famous love story in an

entirely

new way.One can argue that this version of Romeo and Julietwould be

understood even without spoken words.The camera-work tells the story

as

clearly as the text.There are very few moments in this movie when the

camera

stops moving.Like Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killersthe editing is

fierce

and in your face.There is little time to think as the perpetual

images flash

across the screen.And it works.You become entranced and cannot wait

to see

what happens next even if you are already familiar with the story.It

feels new.

Like many contemporary Shakespeare productions, the text has

been

slightly edited but this does nothing to dilute the story.The

dialogue, for

the most part, is not delivered by master thespians, rather, we hear

contemporary film actors delivering the Bard's words as though this

were present

day English in New York or Los Angeles.This works very well to keep

the

general movie-going audience engaged in the feeling of the words even

if the

actual words or their meanings are not heard or understood.

Although

Shakespearean purists might find it appalling that every word is not

clearly

audible, this is not the Globe.This is a movie made to be shown in

the malls

of America--not the halls of a theatre.There is no need to ask your

neighbor

for the meaning of the words, for their delivery within the context of

the

visual imagery makes all clear.

The contemporary sets and costumes also work well to compliment

the

contemporary delivery of lines.This is a modern day cosmopolitan city

with

beaches, gas stations and helicopters.There are constant visual

metaphors and

recognizable images used to convey meaning where there might be some

confusion.

The town square is a gas station, but we understand that this is a

public place

in which a private familial rivalry is occurring.The rapiers are

guns, but a

duel is a duel.The two warring families, the Capulets and the

Montagues are

presented as if they are two rival organized crime families.As a

movie-goer,

we have seen this conflict before and do not need to question why it

would be so

dangerous and extreme for the children of these families to fall in

love. The

risks and challenges of this romance are obvious.

This Romeo and Julietis successful on many levels for many

reasons.

But I believe the most successful aspect of this film is that it never

forgets
that it is a movie made for movie-goers.The audience feels very

comfortable

with everything going on the screen for it is all familiar and easily

understandable through the interpretations of the film makers.Unlike

other

productions of Romeo and Julietwhich I've seen, I believe the actual

meanings

and ideas of Shakespeare's story are more easily digested in this

version. This

movie knows it's audience well and does a great job of delivering the

goods. It

should therefore come as no surprise that the majority of the audience

on

opening night was young, excited and applauding at the movie's end.