Romeo and juliets movies DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
Uploaded by *GeMsToNe* on Mar 05, 2007
Essay
There are many differences and similarities between Luhrmann’s (1996) version of Romeo and Juliet, and Zeferelli’s (1968) version.
DISCUSS
My only love sprung from my only Hate.
This famous line has come from a play, which has been made into a movie many times. This Essay is about two of those such movies. Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest love stories and also unfortunately tragedy. In Baz Luhrmann’s (1996) film Shakespeare’s famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona still retaining its original dialogue. While Franco Zeferelli’s (1968) film was the original from the clothes to the language.
Both films are the same and yet so different. For example the setting and the clothes are very different. But on the other hand the two films have the language and the plot in common.
Differences
To begin with one obvious difference between the two films is the use of the clothing. The costumes in Zeferelli’s film are true to the original Shakespearean play with the 1300’s style medieval clothes. The women in the film wore beautiful long dresses with lace not buttons with elaborate head ware. The men wore traditional puffy caps, vests and leggings.
Alternatively in the modern day film the costumes are colorful and more appealing to the younger audiences. For example the women wore dresses, makeup and fancy dress at the party. The men wore Hawaiian shirts, bare chests and sunglasses.
Both of the families in the two films have family crests of some sort to show other people what family they belong to. The clothes in each film are different to go with the setting.
This brings me to my next point.
The setting. Another great difference between the two films is that the films were set in different time periods. In Zeferelli’s film it is set in medieval Verona in Italy. But in Luhrmann’s film
(Romeo + Juliet) is set in modern day Verona.
Significant setting differences:
Luhrmann (1996) Zeferelli (1968)
Big buildings Dirty narrow street
Roads Houses made of stone
Signs Church beautiful colorful glass windows
Cars Horses and cart
Middle of city Small town
Similarities
One thing that both of the films didn’t change was the plot.
Plot overview: Two respected families of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, have been fighting with each other for years over something no one can remember. Romeo Montague goes out with his friends to make trouble at a party the Capulets are hosting (Fancy dress ball), but while...