Zeferelli Vs Lutherman Essay, Research Paper

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet leaves a lot of room for creative elaboration and from this had come countless video versions of the play. This well-known tragedy lives in people?s heart since it was written. Two brilliant directors, Franco Zefferelli and Baz Luhrmann, showed two totally different sides of Romeo and Juliet. It is amazing how two unique directors had shaped one play for different viewers using setting, text, costumes, music and even actors.

First, directors F. Zefferelli and B. Luhrmann had different audience on their mind when they were creating their movies. Lyric Zefferelli showed a definitive version of the play, as Shakespeare would display it. He created this movie for people who love, read and appreciate Shakespeare?s work; while modern Luhrmann wanted to attract and show to younger people, who doesn?t not necessarily love Shakespeare, this deathless story of love. Second, two directors used setting, costumes, text, and music for attraction of their listeners. Zefferelli used only romantic music on the background, kept Shakespeare?s text, settled his movie in Verona as the original, and reflected costumes of the romantic period. On the other hand, Baz Luhrmann used up-to-date costumes; fast, very modernized music thought the movie and modern setting yet maintained a hint of architecture from Shakespearean times. Although, Baz Luhrmann wanted to create modern variation of the movie he kept Shakespeare?s text. Furthermore, directors used actors to fit the viewers. Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was unique in its day for casting kids in the play’s pivotal roles of, well, kids. He used unknown young artists seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting and fifteen-year-old Olivia Hussey for the titular pair. The Bard’s star-crossed lovers and they rebel a running battle between their families in order to be together in love. Luhrmann created a terrific adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, featuring two of the brightest modern young actors as the leading lady and man. Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes made a great modern Romeo and Juliet.

Both spawned from the original and brought new concepts to the stage. They were both distinct and profound in their own execution of the play.

Although I found Zefferelli’s version of the play accurate and enjoyable, I preferred the modern connotations of Lurhmann’s later adaptation. It was a refreshing renewal of Romeo and Juliet and shed new light on the literary masterpiece.