As a lit major, I’m genuinely a fan of Shakespeare. I willingly took way too many classes not to be at this point, and for the most part, his work is incredible. But I’ve always been a Romeo and Juliet hater, and the only production to change my mind about the dramatic star-crossed lovers is Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet.
It’s the ultimate blueprint for how to modernize a classic while still keeping the heart of the story intact and delivering something that feels refreshing. The brightness and stark saturation that Luhrmann often brings to dark stories is no small feat, and a directorial strength he’s known for. It’s why Moulin Rouge! also still holds up 25 years later. The vibrancy not only makes the tragedy more palatable, but it also ensures that the emotions we’re left with make us ponder all that’s around us.
Romeo + Juliet isn’t just about the young lovers, but it’s a story about those around them, too. It’s about the risks and terrors that unfold after decades of hatred. But title the story after two people and make fourteen-year-olds read it, why the heck should we care? The secondary characters—the ones who are left behind and the ones who pay the price—they’re the heart of this story, and Luhrmann’s adaptation showcases this concept best. Mercutio and Tybalt, played by Harold Perrineau and John Leguizamo, respectively, are two character deaths that hit harder in this adaptation than in any other. In some ways, we can credit it to the actors, but it’s also in the details that this adaptation layers them in a completely different way. They don’t just feel like characters in a play, but rather real people, making the impact ten times more evocative.
Simultaneously, credit where it’s due, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are sensational as the titular characters. The weight of their adoration for one another is amplified on screen, starting with the first meeting and ending with their first time together. The needle drop of Des’ree’s “I’m Kissing You” also still floors me, and encompasses their fascination in a manner that’s legitimately tangible. I can believe in their recklessness, trauma, and desperation. I can feel the turmoil running through their minds as everything sparks and sizzles between them.
Religious allegories, racism, xenophobia, Luhrmann explores it all in a story that’s otherwise not the strongest in Shakespeare’s catalog. Changing the setting from Verona to a post-modern Verona Beach and filming primarily in Mexico City adds an extra sense of familiarity that allows the narrative to bring the character journeys to life. It’s a dizzying, wild ride that relies on a faster pace to push the emotions to the forefront and leave viewers in a state of shock while also forcing us to grapple with the urgency of all that’s happening in front of us.
And that’s the thing about a Baz Luhrmann production that’s so addictive. His pacing is so uniquely enthralling that by the time we get from point A to point B, it feels like we’ve run a marathon. Yet, it’s never too fast where it doesn’t feel like we’ve absorbed the material in front of us because that’s exactly what Romeo+Juliet does. It’s a dizzying, vibrant adaptation that pushes boundaries and forces you to feel every emotion under the sun.
First Featured Image Credit: ©20th Century Fox