"Romeo and Juliet" in the Movies

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the play, "Romeo and Juliet", written by William Shakespeare during the Elizabethan Times in the late 1500s with four modern day movie adaptations: "West Side Story", directed by Robert Wise in 1961; "Romeo and Juliet", directed by Baz Luhrmann in 1996; "Shakespeare in Love", directed by John Madden in 1998; and "Romeo Must Die" directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in 2000. The findings conclude that "Romeo Must Die" has little to do with the original play in terms of plot and passion. "Shakespeare in Love" evokes some of the passion that "Romeo and Juliet" had, but deviates substantially in events. The paper shows that, while the movie, "Romeo and Juliet", comes closest to the storyline of the original play, only "West Side Story" succeeds in capturing the romantic passion first relayed by Shakespeare.

From the Paper:

"The script understates the romance in favor of emphasizing the intensity of the war that is going on. Trish and Hans try to discover who killed their loved ones and develop a relationship more akin to a friendship than the passionate love of Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo Must Die, Hans and Trish fall supposedly completely in love, and yet don't kiss, don't swoon, and don't even show a tinge of passion".

More papers on "Romeo and Juliet" in the Movies:

• Analytical Essay # 120581 : "Love in "Romeo and Juliet"
• Analytical Essay # 83725 : "Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"
• Comparison Essay # 2546 : "Romeo and Juliet': Comparison of Films"

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