I won’t dare insult your intelligence by explaining the story of Romeo & Juliet, which is potentially one of the most romantic tragedies in the history of the world (it pretty much is the first time tragedy was taken so well by the audience), so let’s cut straight to the chase.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, Baz Luhrmann is a eccentric filmmaker. Everything is a bit over the top, but most cases it works. Lots of glitz and glamour when it comes to costumes and very broken, yet artsy, sets are generally a ‘must’ be in a Luhrmann film. Romeo & Juliet was Luhrmann’s first big experiment to apply such things, as it was only his second directorial gig on a major motion picture. His task to make the play appeal to everyone, especially the young uninterested audience of the world, was not an easy task. His art style of applying all of the above ‘glitz & glamour’ to both his costumes and sets would be the reason why people came in droves to see his film; that and the fact that DiCaprio and Claire Danes were the leads. Before we get into that aspect, let me just point out that Luhrmann’s artistic style thrived in this old play and really drove the atmosphere and set it all up for a young audience feel. If you can get kids to buy into Shakespeare then you have accomplished some major feats, and Luhrmann succeeded in such an accomplishment.
As for the acting, that’s a great debate amongst my peers. The acting in Romeo & Juliet succeeds and fails. It succeeds because the cast as a whole really thrives together. I was especially impressed with the favorite character in nearly every rendition of this, Mercutio. Played by Harold Perrineau, Mercutio’s the driving force in the play, as much as he is the neutral force. Perrineau embodies the perfect Mercutio, as his passion for the role shines through without flaw. Powerful in some areas, silly in others, Mercutio is the device that turns the play from romantic to tragic. Other honors should go to John Leguizamo’s Tybalt, who has to be one of the most vicious and evil Tybalt’s in recent memory. Vindictive and unforgiving, Leguizamo is everything that Shakespeare might have imagined in his antagonist. Now, here’s where you’re going to hate me. I’m not sure that Claire Danes and Leanardo DiCaprio were particularly a good choice for the leads. Both read Shakespeare like they’ve got the dialogue in front of them, and both deliver a very passionless performance due to that reading.
Anyway, the film is nonetheless an interesting, colorful, passionate take on the old play. I commend Luhrmann for making a solid attempt of bringing something fresh and new to the screen from material that is older than everyone in the cast combined (plus the crew).
So, more than likely you are already a fan of this title and you just want me to shut up on the movie and tell you about the Blu-ray; fair enough. Much like the Moulin Rouge! Blu-ray that was released on the same day, the visual quality and audio quality are top notch. Again, much like Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, Romeo & Juliet is colorful and artistic. There are tons of reds, blacks, whites and other HD friendly colors shine through. You’ll even enjoy the green hair that Jamie Kennedy’s Sampson sports, but you may not enjoy the scene where he licks his own nipple. Regardless, the picture and audio is gorgeous!
As for features, here’s what you’re looking at:
– Shaking Up Shakespeare Picture-in-Picture Mode with Audio Commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald M. McAlpine and Craig Pearce and featuring Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Stills
– Uncut Footage from the Bazmark Vault
– Romeo + Juliet: The Music Documentary
– Filmmaker and Interview Galleries
Good stuff in terms of material, some of the stuff you’ve seen before. There are some good interviews and good vault footage. You won’t buy this for the special features though as much as you will for the movie.