his essay will talk about the interpretations of Romeo and Juliet in Baz Luhrmanns film and how different people can view things differently like how benvolio is like a wild person in the film but in the play he seems calm and polite.

Weapons

in the play the characters have swords to use as weapons you can tell by when benvolio says Part, fools!Put up your swords; you know not what you do.but in the film they have guns as shown in the film.But the thing is that on the guns it shows the word sword engraved on them.This is is a way to keep it real as people wouldn’t carry swords around in modern times where as in America where the film is set it is quite common to carry a gun around.So to have the word sword on the guns can keep the words of William Shakespeare’s play in the film.

The family’s

In the film the capulates and the montagues seem very different as the capulates seem very classy and rich and the montagues seem like there not as classy and rich.it is almost like the capulates think that the montagues are like toe rags.you can see that the capulates are rich as in the party they have a big ball but there are never any which show scenes that show that the montagues are particularly wealthy.but in the play the family’s seem very similar .when Romeo goes to Juliet in the night the house is huge with a swimming pool but in the scene where friar Laurence was teaching kids about the plants it seemed that it was in the slum so there is quite a difference.

Friar Laurence

In the play friar Laurence talks about the plants to himself but in the film he is talking to two young boys as if he is teaching them.i think this is because baz luhmann wanted to keep it modern and a man talking to plants doesn’t happen much but so it makes much more sense to have him teaching children.

Characters

in the play all the characters seem pretty calm but in the film they all seem to carry guns and are very aggressive.Even juliet carries a gun i don’t know know if it is just because guns are more aggressive but they do seem more aggressive.

Modernisation.

In the film there are many times when baz lurhmam changes the story some examples are when Romeo shoots herself instead of stabbing herself or when Romeo takes the extisy tablet.The one I am going to talk about is prince being a police officer.It makes sense because you don’t really get princes laying down the law.but a police officer would.

Conclusion.

Over all the film interpreted the play well as it kept the same story line and effect mostly and changing it where necessary.

Interpretations by Lucas ansbro-Bennett.