Romeo and Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann’s film Romeo + Juliet is a highly successful film as an appropriation of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. The language and plot are similar to the play with only slight editing but it is set in a modern context with contemporary values and attitudes. These are relevant to modern viewers yet still focus on the same ideas that Shakespeare’s play conveyed to an Elizabethan audience. Luhrmann has successfully made use of music, costuming, visual imagery and a mix of genres to shape our perception of themes, setting and characters. Elements are appropriated so that the film will entertain and be understood by today’s society.

The language and plot of the film is very similar to Shakespeare’s original play. Shakespeare’s language has been retained but sections have been edited out and scenes altered. However this does not limit our understanding as ideas have been replaced by images, which may in fact communicate a clearer meaning. The narrativ...