Romeo and Juliet: Adaptations

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a play adapted extensively into films, musicals, and operas, itself borrowed from an Italian tale; The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke, 1562 and Palace of Pleasure by William Painter in 1582. Romeo and Juliet became one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies. Baz Luhrman’s 1996 feature film Romeo + Juliet took on the challenge of adapting Shakespeare’s play into film. While retaining the original script, Luhrman changed almost everything else; the music score, the setting, the visual style, costumes and the text type. As a result, he created an engaging style of entertainment for a young modern audience. In his appropriation of the original 16th century play, Luhrman explores and honours the play’s major themes; love, violence, fate versus free will and gender inequality.
The biggest risk Luhrman took in adapting Romeo and Juliet to the screen was the use of Shakespearean dialogue in a modern Latino setting. It was a bold move, by which Luhrman divided audiences into those who either commended it and those who despised it. However it was recognised that Luhrman had succeeded in maintaining the integrity of the characters and plotline, creating a modern masterpiece.
The interpretation of the themes in both texts is true to the context of the time in which they are set. Apparent in the original text of the late 16th century are the patriarchal values held by society, the new spiritual and religious beliefs emerging through renaissance humanism, values in regards to marriage and gender roles and the strong religious presence in the Italian village of Verona. These contextual factors are carried through to the modern adaptation to a certain extent, but are adjusted to accommodate modern audiences. The film adaptation is set in Verona Beach Miami: a city with both Hispanic and American influence. The music score borrows from Radiohead, The Cardigans and Dess’ree. Luhrman also transformed swords into