Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet

xpost bbbut this "very specific R. idea of italy" would not have been conveyed in any physical sense in the orig productions! so what do we do to be faithful? (not being stroppy with you here; it's an interesting question)

doing shakespeare in contemp (or even 19th cent) theatrical conventions (the proscenium, lights, sets) is as much an adaptation as doing a film really.

I think one way (and this is not at all a conclusive answer) people have sensibly-ish dealt with the "very specific idea" is by 'diffrent-historical-period'-style adaptions (eg Ren. audiences know Italy is full of poisoners and creeps, where is the equivalent to the imagination of now?) (haha Italy), and for me the strength of BL's R&J is that it addresses this in a very very clever way - ie saying that what we need to equivolate is as much the sense of Italy as strange magical, a place of dream and intrigue and legend experienced only onstage, as the sense of it being violent, full of poisoners etc...

*but not costume! but these were all anachronistic as well ie no togas in julius caesar etc.

http://www.interinfo.co.jp/102a%20romeo+juliet.jpg

theater is so wierd; more than any other artform the blueprint for performance is totally incomplete (ok well jazz standards too)

Shakespearian texts don't offer a blueprint for performance because they're not designed for performance, thoughmaybe? Beckett gives pretty strict directions, after all.

The Priest's Crucifix backpiece was a nice touch.

Isn't it that playwrights in Shakespeare's day weren't writing for multiple companies who could be producing the work anywhere, but for a specific troupe they'd be interacting with at the time of production?

plain as day!

Yeah, exactly. I think what I actually meant by this was somethng like: 'The texts we call Shakespeare's Plays are records of performance, transcribed and printed for reading', but yeah, what you said.

i have a real soft spot for this movie

I've never seen it, but Leo was way hotter as a downy androgyne than now.

i like the idea that there is a difference between people who saw this and knew what florida was, so that it felt like a "modernizing" production, and people who saw this but really had no idea about florida and so the setting was as imaginary as Verona had been to shsksp's contemporaries.

least favorite movie of all time

(Luhrmann is gay, right?)
― Gravel Puzzleworth

he's not gay; i think his wife is his production designer.
― Amateur(ist)

Baz Luhrmann is like all the worst qualities of gay males without any of the redeeming qualities.

wait, I thought that was me!

i have a softspot for this movie too but it took me a while. was expecting too much when i first saw it, so i was disappointed.

young leo + young claire was great

baz has only made 4 films. that's kinda weird, no?

that pace accommodates his Kubrick-for-ADD-sufferers vision

um, guys, i own that movie. why don't you all come over and we'll watch it and reminisce about high school?

catherine martin (luhrman's wife) is the reason his movies look so good.

i think danes is really annoying in this movie, but it's one of my favorite leo performances.

so glad u like this movie tz, i thought i would be the only one

I suspect I wd prefer the Ethan Hawke Hamlet (which really is good)

if you are fucking with me i will punch u
xpost

uhhh im the one that revived it homie

maybe it was 'ironic'?

never, i totally dig on this movie

will ride for this all day tbh

totally didn't realize paul rudd was in this

Anyway let's anticapate UNTITLED ALEXANDER PROJECT!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, May 12, 2005 12:01 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark

lol

love this movie

really fantastic production design

yes!!

more haters need to come out and express their hate for this amazingly hateable movie

it's like the worst music video ever made or something

i hate this.

prefer the comic

in theory baz luhrmann's other movies could also be the worst movie ever made

but I am never going to watch them

you are the donk of baz luhrmann

Strictly Ballroom is actually pretty good.

i'm quite amazed to hear that Luhrmann is not gay.

He was, one understands, gay before the marriage. And still declines to identify as straight.

He was, one understands, gay before the marriage. And still declines to identify as straight.

Actually I find this radically defensible.

Which means I am all the worst qualities of gay males without any of the good ones.

Banger *

MAKE A MUTINY AMONG MY GUESTS?

Also love how Leguizamo delivers the 'peace? Peace?' line.

Seen this so many times through teaching the text that I have no distance from it at all. Love it. I must say 'the boys the boys' a couple of times a week.

Yeah that’s a superb delivery and the pause & crunch is insanely great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux2FgZizcrc

So great, lurzman struck serious gold here, everything else he’s done has been completely not my thing at all, this is so weird and dreamy and sensational

Yeah, he’s such a hacky vulgarian, no idea how he had it in him to make this.

otm to everything in the revive except nv's lament for leguizamo who has had imo a very interesting time of it

he may have continued to be really good in stuff i'm not interested in tbf

what a great film
ages well
time to rewatch