Analyzing Romeo+Juliet in Terms of Cross-Fertilization

Running head: ANALYZING ROMEO+JULIET IN TERMS OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION
ANALYZING ROMEO+JULIET IN TERMS OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION
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ANALYZING ROMEO+JULIET IN TERMS OF CROSS-FERTILIZATION
Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes playing the
respective characters of Romeo and Juliet (Imdb.com, 2018). Other prominent characters in the
film are Mercutio (played by Harold Perrineau) and Tybalt (played by John Leguizamo).
The film’s plot revolves around the start-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet who fall in love
despite knowing that their families have a history of feuds. Their love story is faced with
problems from all corners, feuding families – the Capulet against the Montague, fighting friends
and other problems.
The montage effects used by Luhrmann in the film assist him to depict clearly the classic
play in a modern way, which is evident from the montage used in the opening scene. The
opening scene shows a news broadcaster reporting about the suicide of two lovers and then it
cuts to the city of Verona showing in the statue of Jesus in close shot and zooming out to reveal
the two opposite buildings with Capulet and Montague sign. The montage immediately
introduces the audience to the theme of the story.
In terms of mise-en-scene, the clothing and posture of each character in all the scenes
demonstrate the distinction between the two feuding families and their allies. While the
Montagues characters adorned colorful, beach clothes, the Capulets were mostly seen in dark
clothes with red and black color combination.
The ruined structures in the beach, the clothing of the characters, the camera movements
– all add to a stylistic work of visual art in the film (Albanese, 2013). The viewers are left
spellbound from the very first instance of Romeo and Juliet’s meeting through a glass aquarium.
The music of the film also plays a significant part in enhancing the dramatic elements.
The opening of the movie just after the news presenter’s scene engages the viewer’s attention