Baz Luhrmann's film interpretation of Act 5 scene 3 of Romeo and Juliet conveys the tragedy ot the play more effectually than Zetrelli's. This is because Baz Luhrmann has made more effective use ot film elements to fully capture the heart-breaking nature of the scene. such as; colour and lighting props and the setting he staged the scene In, the actors and the way the events In the scene unfolded. Zefrelll's interpretation of the play was undoubtedly moving, Baz Luhrmann's more modern adaption allows the viewers to experience the full force of the tragedy.
Luhrmann taged this scene in a modern day church, which is a more familiar setting to a contemporary Australian audience. The church was brightly lit, populated with hundreds of lit candles and neon crosses. Emphasizing how much Juliet was loved by her family and the community and in turn showing how distraught these people are over such a tremendous loss. adding to the tragedy of the play. Juliet used a gun to end her life, a more modern day means of carrying out the act, Zefrelli's version on the other hand was visually unstimulating, due to it being set In a decrypt tomb, an nfamiliar site to modern day audiences.In this version, Juliet's tool for committing suicide was a blade, an inefficient way of ending your life and one that is not commonly seen today.
Although one might argue that Zefrelli's version is more effective at conveying the sense of tragedy Shakespeare intended as it is more taithtul to the original due to it being set in the same place it was in the play, the number ot people that have read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Is dwindling. This means that a large portion of modern day viewers wouldn't be affected by the large hange In scenery.Baz Luhrmann's version Incorporated modern day scenery and props, which are suited toa modern day audience, therefore making It more effective than Zefrelli's film at conveying the tragedy. The colour and lighting In Luhrmann's scene was produced by candles and neon crosses, making the scene look sad and gloomy while drawing in the audience's attention.
This type of lighting emphasised how young and delicate she is, the same for Romeo, increasing the sense of tragedy the audience feels. It's also more appealing to a more modern audience, as we're sed to seeing that kind of lighting.Zefrelli's version of this scene had lots dull earthly colours, due to the scene being set in a tomb. these colours were visually unappealing and detached the audience from the film.
Luhrmann's use of colour and light subtly increased the tragedy the audience feels, Zefrelli's on the other hand decreased the tragedy of the play because it alienated and bored the audience. The music choice in this scene also differed greatly between the two versions of Shakespeare's play. Zefrelli chose a more classical piece, which wasnt really suited to he scene.This made the audience's attention drift from the film and made the scene less climatic. There also wasn't a lot of sound , which like the music didn't compliment the events. Luhrmann's choice for the music In this scene Is far more appropriate.
He chose to play the same piece of music that was playing when Romeo and Juliet met, and when they got married. He chose this because It makes the audience think of happier times in their relationship, and what could have been had the odds not been stacked against them, this helps the audience feel the heart-breaking nature around he events.The church created an echo for the sounds in this scene, like when Romeo screams and Juliet's wails of despair, amplifying the tragic nature of events. Baz Luhrmann's use of music and sound greatly helped get across the atmosphere Shakespeare intended to create, and in turn, convey the tragedy more effectively than Zefrelli's.
Medium and close up's were frequently used in Zefrelli's version, which while effective, can leave much to be desired. These types of shots allowed the audience to see the emotions as they played out on Romeo and Juliet's faces.While these angles accomplished what Zefrelli intended, a more diverse range of shot angles would have made the scene more interesting to watch. Baz Luhrmann on the other hand went right where Zefrelli went wrong. He utilized different camera angles, fully showcasing how grand Juliet's funeral was, which reminds the audience of the sorrow surrounding Juliet's death.
Baz Luhrmann's use of camera angles was for more affective at making the audience feel the tragedy surrounding Romeo and Juliet's deaths. The acting was far better in Baz Luhrmann's version as well.The motions that played out on the youths faces were believable, so were their reactions and the way they said their lines. Their performances were believable and they didn't over-do it like the actors in Zefrelli's version.
Their performances were overly theatrical, making it harder to believe this would be Romeo and Juliet's actual reactions and in turn disengaging the viewer. An example of this is Romeo's reaction when he sees Juliet lying on her death bed. Rather than being overcome as any normal teenager would, he continues talking without any significant pauses, and sobs nconvincingly.Baz Luhrmann's version was far better in terms of acting, his Romeo and Juliet portrayed exactly what Shakespeare intended to in his play. Zefrelli's version was more faithful to the original story, even though a large portion of detail is left out.
Baz Luhrmann some events in this story and took the tragedy of this scene to a whole new height. Rather than Romeo committing suicide after seeing what appears to be a dead Juliet, and then having Juliet waking up, seeing Romeo dead, and killing herself. He allowed Juliet to wake up before Romeo dies and Just after he's runk the poison, making him see that Juliet wasn't actually dead.This makes his death seem even more unnecessary and tragic. Zefrelli's version shows how close Romeo and Juliet were between living happily ever after and tragedy.
Luhrmann narrows this time, making it more tragic and dramatic. Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet was far more affective at allowing the audience to experience the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. His manipulation of film elements surpassed Zefrelli's immensely. Zefrelli's version had its moments, but they weren't frequent enough to engage the audience.
