Customer Reviews
If you love Shakespeare - AVOID THIS! - By: Mrs. E. A. Molloy, 20 Nov 2008 
Some of the most atrocious acting even committed to celluloid. Just awful, awful, awful!
I watched 15 minutes before I could stand no more.
Save yourself the hassle & buy Zeffirelli's version instead. You won't regret THAT!
Too brash and too American - By: John Wilcock, 31 Jul 2008 
I usually enjoy Shakespeare "done modern" but this was awful! It was Shakespeare meets Westside story, Moulin Rouge & greasy was the word that came to mind. The film kept to the traditional language of Shakespeare but it does not suit American accents. The words grated, uttered thoughtlessly for the most part from the mouths of Hawaiian shirted American gang youth. Even Peter Postlethwaite seemed preoccupied with maintaining his American accent over what he was saying.
Dicaprio & Clare Danes however do make a charming couple & you cannot help wishing that their love would survive the maelstrom of brutish hate that the two families have for each other. The film gets its reputation for being "good" from this simple alchemy & possibly from the misguided wow factor of the Moulin rouge esc wayin which it is directed. It is full of brash lights, surreal modern music, fast shots to unnerve the audience & the fight scenes are filmed as a cross between a spaghetti western & those Japanese marshal arts films where people make daft noises as they square upto each other! It didn't work for me, go & buy "Shakespearein love" instead.
Not Bard At All - By: Peanut Butter, 29 Jul 2008 
So Shakespeare, boring or not boring? Definitely NOTin my opinion & this adaptation of a classic play proves it beyond doubt. Were the bard himself alive today, I have absolutely no doubt this would be how he would like to see his plays represented on film.
At the time the play was written, Shakespeare was limited to a wooden, prop-starved theatre stage. Baz Luhrmann, four hundred years later, has a vast cinemascope on which to depict his story. Consequently, he floods the screen with panoramic scenes that boggle the senses, butin no way fail to excite the emotions. A total triumph!
a modern take on classic tale - By: Stampy, 25 May 2008 
In an adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragic love story, Romeo falls for Juliet, a beautiful woman bornin the Capulet family, a family which his Montague family is destined to hate.
Baz Luhrmann brings a modern feel to this romantic drama with guns, drugs & cars replacing all classic props usedin the playwright's time.
Though this doesn't always work during the film, there is a good motive to use these particular props & is executed well. During the opening sequencein a petrol station where the two rival families are weighing each other up with modern tools it felt too modern, like an action film or something, & often was exaggerated.
However when used correctly it was exciting & tense, particularly the ending which was tense, dramatic & a perfect execution of the true ending to Shakespeare's play.
Leo Di Caprio (Titanic) stars as Romeo, a young man who fallsin love at first sight with Juliet & from when these two are introduced does the film start to become more intriguing. Not his best performance, but Di Caprio is still excellent as Romeo, especially hearing news of Juliet latein the film, he was the perfect choice for the role. Danes (Stardust) gives an average performance as Juliet. Beating off heavy competition for the part, Danes could have executed some scenes better but she certainly looks terrific & her final scene she outshines Di Caprio completely, but the film belongs to Di Caprio.
Using modern day life with Shakespearian language was always going to be a risky move but after some bizarre opening sequences this formula worked well & Posthlewaite executed the words better than anyone.
Though 2 hours long, it felt short & there could have been more direction to emphasize characters better. However Di Caprio is excellent, Shakespeare's dialogue can never be questioned & neither can the plot, no matter what adaptation or spin is put on the tale, it is still the most dramatic love story ever written.
7/10
Converted into the modern day beautifully - By: Kaylee, 12 Apr 2008 This is a truly amazing film. Somehow it converts the Shakespeare play without destroying it. The acting is wonderful & it is a brilliant way to introduce a reluctant audience to Shakespeare.
I first saw this filmin my English class along with an older adaptation of the play, & this was the one that we understood & we didn't laugh at the costumes, unlike the older version. It engages not only a younger audience though, it also appeals to a wider range of people that can appreciate the film just as well. It is a triumph that you understand every word they say, even though the language hasn't been translated into modern day English. I enjoyed watching this adaptation & found that it left me with a lumpin my throat, like it should.
In this version it uses guns instead of swords, but keeps the original names of the swords which adds a nice finishing touch. It's little extras like this that you can enjoy while watching. The casting of the roles are great, everyone fitsin beautifully. Leonardo DiCaprio is a very good choice as Romeo as he brings a young naive ness to the role & is a very talented actor. The gang war fare is also extremely convincing. I thoroughly enjoyed this film & would recommend it to anyone.
