Year 10 English
Mrs Douglass
Good morning/afternoon Mrs Douglass and class. Today I will be comparing two versions of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. One of the films was produced in the year 1996; this was directed by Baz Luhrmann. The two main roles of Romeo and Juliet were played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The other film being analysed was directed by Franco Zefirelli, it was released in 1968. Leonard Whiting had the role of Romeo and Juliet was played by Olivia Hussey. The scene being analysed in this assignment is Act 5, scene 3, this scene is the death of the lovers. To analyse these two different versions of the chosen scene, this assignment will discuss the editing, sound, mise en scene, shot size and camera angles used to determine which version executes the theme of tragedy more effectively.
Camera angles and shot sizes are used in films to reveal characters emotions and reactions when put in certain situations. This paragraph will look at the chosen scene and discuss the different camera angles and shot sizes used and how they affect the audience. In Act 5, scene 3 Luhrmann's version the shot sizes and camera angles include an extreme close up on Romeo's eyes as he enters the tomb of the Capulet's. This shot size is used to display the sadness in Romeo's eyes as this is the first time he is seeing his beloved Juliet dead. A subjective angle is then used to show the audience what Romeo is seeing as he enters the tomb. Romeo then makes his way to Juliet and Luhrmann uses a medium close up of Romeo; this allows the audience to witness Romeo’s emotions as he closes in on Juliet. A high angle is then used to show how Juliet is powerless to all that is occurring. As Romeo holds her hand an extreme close up is used, this shows that Juliet is starting to awaken as her hand moves. This shot size creates a great deal of anxiety for the audience, because they know what is going