Romeo & Juliet Essay – Final

How does Baz Luhrmann explore the key idea(s) in William Shakespeare’s
original text Romeo and Juliet?

The play by William Shakespeare and the movie by Baz Luhrmann of Romeo + Juliet explores
the theme of love. The three types of love that I will be explored are romantic love vs lust,
intense passion, and individual vs society. Luhrmann and Shakespeare explore the idea of love
through a variety of literary and cinematic techniques such as metaphors, the comparison of
light and dark, imagery, similes and foreshadowing.
Baz Luhrmann explores the idea of romantic love vs lust, which is expressed in William
Shakespeare’s original play, through the comparison of light and dark as well as imagery. Lust is
shown when Romeo expresses his love and attraction for Rosaline saying, “The all-seeing
sun/ne'er saw her match since first the world begun.” Meaning that the sun has never seen
someone so beautiful before. Whenever Romeo is talking about his feelings for Rosaline, he only
ever expresses her physical beauty. Whereas, when Romeo first laid eyes on Juliet he said “O,
she doth teach the torches to burn bright!” saying that she teaches and shows things how to be
bright. He immediately forgets about Rosaline, saying “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it,
sight / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” In the movie when Romeo is talking to Juliet
and looking at her through the fish tank, Luhrmann uses close ups to show their facial
expressions. The first time they meet there is music playing in the background and everything is
focused on just them. The music is slowed down, as they smile, and exchange looks. As Romeo
rushes in taking on the role of his costume, a knight in shining armour, to save his “angel”. Their
love is represented with different camera shots such as medium and long shots which show the
star-crossed lovers leaving the party together within the elevator. Baz Luhrmann has
successfully adapted a version of Shakespeare’s play. Luhrmann uses a range of camera shots
and angles as well as costumes and music to explore the idea of romantic love vs lust present
within Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.
Baz Luhrmann explores the idea of intense passion, which is also expressed in Shakespeare’s
original play, through different literary techniques as well as images of love, violence and death.
Luhrmann shows a much deeper understanding of the intense passion between the two when
they both defy their families for each other, they are both willing to lose their last names “Deny
thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a
Capulet”. The theme of intense passion returns at the end of both the play and film, when
Romeo arrives at Juliet’s tomb, believing that he is too late. But, in fact, he arrives too early. He
takes the poison and kills himself just as Juliet is waking up, she then notices Romeo is carrying
his gun, in the film, knife, in the play and kills herself. Romeo’s bad timing results in both of their
deaths. It is only through death that they can sustain their love. In the play, love appears as an
abandoned thing, leading as much to destruction as to happiness. Although, in its extreme
passion, the love that Romeo and Juliet share is so comforting that some people desire to have.
Luhrmann has successfully explained and showed the intense passion from Shakespeare’s play.
Baz Luhrmann uses a range of literary techniques as well as images of love, violence and death.

Baz Luhrmann explores the idea of individual vs society through love. This is expressed through
cinematic techniques, literary techniques and strong emotive language. When Romeo and Juliet
first meet, they don’t know anything about each other. This is until Juliet and Romeo separately
ask the Nurse who each other is and they find out they are enemies. Juliet says, “My only love
sprung from my only hate!”. Whilst Romeo says, “O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt.” At
this point they think the world is against them and doesn’t want them to fall in love. Throughout
the film, Capulet, Juliet’s father, isn’t open to the idea of Juliet getting married. One day he
decides that he wants Juliet to get married to Paris. He thinks that if she doesn’t do it now, she
will be too old. “But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next / Or I will drag thee on a hurdle
thither. Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow-face!” He is ordering
Juliet to marry Paris and if she continues to refuse this request, he will make her live in the
streets to starve and die. He uses such powerful and emotive language to such his power against
her. All the power in a family is given to the father and he’s using that power to force her to
marry Paris. This power is shown in the film through the low camera angle showing his power
over her. Baz Luhrmann uses multiple cinematic techniques, literary techniques as well as
strong emotive language to successfully show the theme of individual vs society.

Romeo + Juliet, a film adapted from William Shakespeare’s original play by Baz Luhrmann
explores the themes of romantic love vs lust, intense passion and individual vs society.
Luhrmann successfully made an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play using a variety of literary and
cinematic techniques such as the comparison of light and dark, imagery and strong emotive
language.