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In the late 1900s, Romeo and Juliet received their most famous movie adaptations. Here, we will compare and contrast the two most popular movie adaptions of Romeo and Juliet.
Movies
1968
The 1968 movie adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is more known to be closer to the original play. This is because it uses almost the same lines from the play throughout the movie and the changes are less evident, focusing on staying loyal to the original play.
The 1968 movie stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as Romeo and Juliet. This movie is also set in Verona, Italy during the Renaissance, and the storyline highlights more of the romance and inevitability of tragedy almost identically to the play.
1996
The 1996 movie, however, is known as more of a modern retelling of the original play. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as Romeo and Juliet, and the story is set in America over the original setting of Italy in Verona Beach, California.
This modern version of the play resembles the modern musical West Side Story that was discussed in the musical section of this presentation. This is because, unlike the original play, the 1996 movie focuses more on the feud between the two families and violence/conflict through the emphasis on gang violence and urban decay, over the big love story between Romeo and Juliet.
Audience
1968
Primary audience: Older, traditional individuals
The primary audience of the older version was more likely to be older, more mature groups of people who were fans of classic literature such as Shakespeare's works. Since the 1968 version is almost identical to the play Shakespeare wrote, older audiences would enjoy how similar the dialogue and storyline are to the original.
Secondary audience: Fans of Shakespeare
The secondary audience of the 1968 version was likely those who were a fan of Shakespeare and his work and devoted themselves to all of the adaptations of said work.
It is also possible that the fanbases of the actors (Whiting and Hussey) were also a large audience of this version of the film.
1996
Primary audience: Young adults & teenage audiences
The primary audience of this more modernized version of the classic tale would probably be the opposite of the main audience of the 1968 version considering the modern take the 1996 version takes on. This means that the film’s main audience was most likely younger individuals, perhaps teenagers and young adults, as the storyline separates from the traditional styles, dialogues, visuals, and more of the original play.
Secondary audience: Fans of the actors in the film
The secondary audience of this film was very likely fans of the famous actors that played the protagonists of the play, as well as those who sought out more contemporary films over classic ones. Unlike the secondary audience of the 1968 film, the 1996 film would likely please many of those who prefer relevant stories that are set in a relevant time period.
Point of views
1968: Traditionalism
The 1968 version put its utmost effort into ensuring the historical accuracy of the film. As a result, by sticking with the original storyline, the 1968 movie portrays a more traditional and conservative point of view as it is the same perspective that the original play depicts. The dedication to remain loyal to the original play maintains the status quo of the original play as it follows the traditional values and morals from the Elizabethan era.
1996: Modernism & Consumerism
On the contrary, the 1996 version presents a more modern perspective with its contemporary styles of music and edgy costumes. This version can be seen as a more liberal point of view that separates from tradition, and values progress within society. This version also focuses on a capitalistic point of view as it incorporates a lot of designer clothing and luxury vehicles to emphasize the difference between the two feuding families.
Codes & Conventions
Costumes
1968:
The costumes in this movie are more historically accurate. From the intricate dresses the female characters wear to the fierce-looking jackets (doublets) that the male characters wear to express their masculinity, the costumes in the 1968 version represent the era that the original play is set in.
Furthermore, the Capulets and Montagues are differentiated by the colour scheme of their clothing. The Capulet family is seen wearing bright, warm colours (reds, yellows, oranges) while the Montagues wear muted, cold colours (greens, blues, indigos).
1996:
In the 1996 version, the costumes reflect the different setting of the movie. The clothing styles are a lot more modern and ditch the traditional dresses and suits that are worn in the 1968 version. Instead of detailed embroidery, this version incorporates a lot of leather and metal accents on the clothing as well as distressed denim (e.g. frayed edges). This is critical in highlighting the gang violence that this version tried to bring to light.
In this version, the Capulet and Montague families are also dressed to distinctly differentiate the two families. The Capulets wear more edgy, dark-coloured clothes, while the Montagues stick to brighter tones.
Dialogue vs Soundtrack
The two movie versions convey language in different senses.
The 1968 version sticks to the original dialogue of Shakespeare’s play and the characters speak in verses. The language in this version is more poetic and concentrates on speaking to convey the message to the audience.
The 1996 version, on the other hand, takes advantage of a soundtrack to help convey the message to the audience. The contemporary music chosen for the movie incorporated pop culture and established a more relevant atmosphere compared to the timely language and dialogue portrayed in the 1968 version.
As a result, the two movie adaptations take on different approaches when it comes to how the message is conveyed whether it is through words and poetry or music and simple dialogue.
Setting
As it has already been established, the main distinction between the two adaptations is the setting of the storyline.
The 1968 version follows the setting of the original play which is in Italy during the Renaissance period—or more specifically the Elizabethan era. This is reflected in the sets constructed for the film as the buildings and architecture are a lot older and vintage-looking.
The 1996 version is set in a modern-day environment in California which is evident through the edgy sets that give a more gritty setting for the movie.
Change in Message
This section serves as a good explanation that even the same mediums can affect the message of the same story. Despite both versions being a movie, the message conveyed is entirely different. The 1968 version is more similar to the original play, and even the ballet, of Romeo and Juliet as it emphasizes the traditions of the Elizabethan era and the society in which the original story takes place, whereas the 1996 movie resembles more to the musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet as it is set in modern society.
However, despite these similarities, the biggest limitation this medium has on the message conveyed is the time frame that is set for movies. Since movies are typically limited to 2-3 hours, this means that a lot of key aspects from the original writing of the play had to be omitted or replaced in order to obey these limitations. Decisions on which scenes to remove and rewritings of certain scenes can affect the themes explored in the play and may cause them to be less distinct than they are presented in the original play.
Balcony Scene
The 1968 version of the balcony scene is a lot more accurate when comparing it to the original script of the play.
Unlike the musical that alters the form of the balcony to fit its time period, the 1968 version sticks to the history of the Elizabethan era and it is clearly reflected in its props, sets, and costumes.
Here is the balcony scene in the 1968 Romeo and Juliet movie.
Balcony Scene
The 1996 version, on the other hand, of the balcony scene evidently takes its own spin on the scene in order to adapt to the time period and setting in which its version takes place.
Once again, there is no real balcony but instead a pool. This makes the story less historically accurate, but more relevant to the setting of the movie which is not in Italy during the Renaissance period, but rather in California during the late 1990s.
Here is the balcony scene in the 1996 Romeo and Juliet movie.
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