Hurry!

Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, set in then-modern times in 1996. Romeo and Juliet come from feuding families, but fall in love, though eventually conflicts with the relatives bring about their premature deaths. This classic story has been played onstage for centuries, and most people are familiar with the plot. But this modern version is a complete change of pace. The movie was directed and produced by Baz Luhrman, who had the task of giving new light and new techniques to the story, and he made a version that is completely different from the norm. Luhrman’s rapid cutting techniques, harsh lighting and sound editing create a memorable, tense scene when Romeo races to the church to see his apparently dead love. Tones of chaos and determination show the great lengths one can go to assure the safety of someone or something they love.

Luhrman completely achieves the tone of urgency in the dash to the church scene, near the end of the movie. In two minutes of film, there are 70 cuts. The shots rapidly switch from Romeo’s frantic face to squealing police cars to a droning, hovering helicopter. This gives the effect that Romeo is being attacked on all sides and completely overwhelmed, by law enforcement not unwilling to kill him. The idea of being overwhelmed is also supported by the use of several camera angles, including aerial and panning shots of Romeo, showing he is watched from the air and from the street. The scene is almost confusing from the rapid changes in perspective, highlighting the chaotic element. Lighting is provided primarily from spotlights on the helicopter and police car headlights. It completely bleaches out Romeo, and his white face gives the appearance of fear, helped by the exertion from running. Romeo looks crazed, helping the chaotic effect. Finally, the sound editing adds another layer of noisy confusion to the scene. The helicopter is deafening throughout the three minutes, therefore Luhrman wanted this hovering presence to not go unnoticed. Loud gunshots add to the noise, and dramatic music plays the whole while. So the screen is flashing madly from the rapidity of cut shots, the noise is a cacophony of sounds, and the lighting on Romeo makes him look insane. The scene is chaotic. Romeo goes through all of this to get to his love and make sure she is alright.

Despite looking scared out of his wits, Romeo is very determined to get into the church to Juliet. Camera angles of Romeo running, such as panning and Romeo running into and out of the frame show that Romeo is really getting somewhere and not giving up. He runs as fast as possible, and one reason that Luhrman decided to cut so quickly was because he ran so quickly out of frame. Also, a considerable amount of the loud, distracting noise made in the scene was made by Romeo, indignant toward the police. He would not scream “Tempt not a desperate man!” while holding a gun to a hostage’s head if he was not determined to see Juliet. His own gunshots toward the helicopter and police officers add a significant amount of noise as well. Romeo indeed takes a hostage and positions the man in front of him so the police won’t shoot, while he is on the steps of the church. This certainly would not happen if Romeo was not determined. In the end, Romeo succeeds in reaching the church, and the police remain outside, allowing Romeo a last goodbye to his wife.

Romeo’s determination and the chaos of the scene in Baz Luhrman’s interpretation of Romeo + Juliet create the theme of going to any lengths to save a loved one. Luhrman’s modern, edgy twist to the genre of Shakespearean plays refreshes the theme, potentially made stale from many years on the stage. Indeed, I understood every monologue in the play after watching the movie instead of reading the book, because of the modern aspect. The use of fast cutting, harsh lighting and chaotic sound editing set the tones in this penultimate scene of a desperate chase through the streets of Verona Beach.