William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet opening 2 min analysis

Institution

• Director: Baz Luhrmann
• Release Date: 28 March 1997 (UK)
• Production Companies: Bazmark Films and Twentieth Century
  Fox Film Corporation. Bazmark films have also produced
  Moulin Rouge and Australia.
• Music: Nellee Hooper
• The budget was $14,500,000 and in the opening weekend it
  made $11,133,231 in the USA on 1,276 Screens
• Not filmed in Verona, Filmed in California and Mexico

Beginning of the clip

• Plain blank screen, small old fashioned T.V in the middle, the production companies are presented on the television screen like television programs, this is signified by the “clicking” sound which sounds like the channel is being changed.
• The prologue is shown as a news broadcast, this is denotated by the style of program that is shown, for example the news presenter and the picture in the right corner.
• The women starts taking in the Shakespearean language, this signifies that the film is set in the past.
• The language is in binary opposition to the modern day T.V. screen and news broadcast.
• The style in which the prologue is shown as a news broadcast could signify the film to be a docu-drama style.
• The prologue denotes that there will be “civil blood, which make civil hands un clean” this connotes that there will be some violence in the film.
• The news broadcast finishes with the news reader saying “ is now the 2 hour traffic of our stage”. This quote could be anchorage that this film is based on a play and the word stage signifies this.
• The picture of Juliet's ring broken in the corner signifies broken bonds (in love)

Second part of the clip

• There is sudden non diagetic music when the camera moves closer into the TV, this makes the viewer feel like their going into the story. It could also be like a tape is fast forwarding.
• There is an extreme long shot showing the statue of Jesus Christ which is in the middle of the Montague and Capulet high rise buildings. This statue is a binary opposite to the modern building surrounding it. This opposition signifies that this film is trying to bring the religion from the original Shakespeare play and put it with the modern day world. This is also shown later when lines from the prologue are used as newspaper headlines.
• The cameras movement through the different “clips” of Verona is shaky, which suggests that it was filmed on a helicopter because most of the shots are arial shots. This is further anchorage that the film is a docu-drama style.
• The monologue is the Priest repeating the prologue which is voiced over the clips of Verona and newspaper headlines.
• The family tree is shown and a blazing fire is shown after it, this could signify anger and death in the two families.
• Binary opposition between the words “fair Verona” and how Verona is being represented.
• Non diagetic music builds up to create tension and drama.
• Close up shots of some of the characters and the character names which also signifies a docu-drama style.
• Various clips are then shown in a montage which is narrative enigma because it creates mystery and makes the viewer want to know what is going to happen.