critique of romeo and juliet the movie

Critique of Romeo and Juliet the Movie
There have been many romantic films made in the past as well
as now in the
present, from Wuthering Heights to Pretty Woman. But, one of the
most romantic
of all films is the story of Romeo and Juliet. It is safe to say
that most
people are familiar with this story. A couple so determined to
be together,
ended up tragically in the arms of one another because of their
feuding families.
Today, a new director attempts to recreate this Shakespearean
story by adding a
little of his on twists to it. Using the same dialogue as
Shakespeare, this
director sets the story in modern times. Romeo and Juliet, the
movie, gives
audience in the twentieth century a taste of a new and mystical
flavor to this
well-known love story.
The setting of Romeo and Juliet, as expected, was totally
different from
other settings in the past. This setting, however, was not
necessarily set in
way of how people today would live. The story was set more
fantasy-like.
Because of the setting, the deaths of the people in this movie
did not seem as
moving as to the old movies. For some reason, the setting of
Mercutio's death
interfered with this supposedly poetic scene. A broken down

stage on a sandy
beach does not seem to fit well together. The setting seemed
pretty artificial.
Also, the scene when one of the Montagues died at the gas station
did not seem
as depressing as would be if any other person was to die. This
scene was the
opening one so, the audience could have been distracted by the
dialogue and
therefore, not paying attention to the death to much.
In the beginning of the movie, it was hard to adjust to
the dialogue
with the atmosphere. The dialogue was way on the other side of
the timeline
compared to the setting. Some of the audience was even laughing.
Perhaps that
was why it was so difficult to follow the movie with all those
distractions.
What was quite remarkable about this movie was how the
director
incorporated today's problems and events with the old
Shakespearean dialogue.
For instance, swords were used in the olden days. Now, the
proper weapon would
be guns. The director also included what a teenager, today,
would do like
taking drugs, playing pool, and going to parties.
Overall, the director must have wanted the audience to
view this movie
as an entirely new and different one compared to the old ones.

It is hard not
to make comparisons, but if one treats this contemporary Romeo
and Juliet as an
entirely separate movie, then perhaps one would appreciate it
more for its
creativity. If people were to watch this movie like any regular
movie and not
think of it as the original Shakespeare story, then perhaps the
watchers would
enjoy it more.