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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 2713
Released: January 14, 2003 |
| Our Price: $13.98 |
| Used Price: $6.96 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Baz Luhrmann's dazzling and unconventional adaptation of William Shakespear's classic love story is spellbinding. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes portray Romeo and Juliet, the youthful star-crossed lovers of the past. But the setting has been moved from it's Elizabethan origins to the futuristic urban backdrop of Verona Beach.
Description of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet:
Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom) takes a shot at reinventing Shakespeare's story of star-crossed lovers as a visual pastiche inspired by MTV imagery, Hong Kong action-picture clichés, and Luhrmann's own taste for deliberate, gaudy excess. The result is explosive chaos, both in terms of bullets and visual sensibility, which some may find impossible to stick with for more than a few minutes. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the leads, though not with much distinction, while Pete Postlethwaite makes a huge impression as this movie's version of Friar Laurence. The film is successful in spots, but overall its fever-dream game plan is difficult to ride out. --Tom Keogh
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet Reviews:
She's the faeries' midwife 
2009-12-16 - I wish this film had been about when I was first studying the play. The acting is superb, the chemistry is excellent amongst the entire cast, the soundtrack stands on its own, and it goes without saying that the direction is superb. Carelessly done, the contemporary backdrop could easily clutter the sonnets and iambic pentameter. Luhrmann's vision to make the timeless story poignant is flawless. DiCaprio and Danes deliver teenaged angst without being trite. Perrineau is the best Mercutio imaginable. I am ever moved by Danes' final scenes, certainly among those that put her on the map.
Sorry, but its a crappy movie 
2009-10-22 - The acting:good, but..the movie is just horrible. I can't believe my english teacher from last year would show this when we were doing Romeo and Juliet. anyway, it is a bad movie in my opinion.thats all i got to say.END-
Dramatic Modernization of a Classic Art
2009-09-14 - Capulet versus Montague the struggle passed down and retold for centuries , in place of swords we find guns, words remain nearly identical. This is a piece of art at an exhilarating rate full of edgy scenes, eclipsed comedy, and camera work worthy of something odd but unique to itself. Fan of Romeo and Juliet or not there is much here to be appreciated.
Were you one to enjoy the plays? One to take in the shoe taps on a wooden stage and the constant pace of it all? The artistic freedom of liveliness and the reverberations of soft spoken voices thirst warmth into the darkest corners of the audience look about. It's all here in a different sense, no stage though a tight wrapped location. Actively alert acting, quick shot responses give life to a normally lifeless adaptation.
The story of supposed star crossed lovers has never been so well preserved by modernizing it adapts making it as much current as that of the original back in its day. Though much the tragedy has been spared for much later bouts of the film, it is not sparse on popping visuals and creative thinking to help this remain at a contemporary stand point for ages to come. Maybe when cars have all but disappeared, and guns are not our standard weapon will we need another remake.
Modern retelling of a classic 
2009-08-13 - Modern actors replay the script of Shakespeare's immortal play. Set in a modern time, Romeo (DiCaprio) lives in a world where battle and killing is done with guns.
Love having my own updated R&J CD of Luhrmann's Version
2009-07-28 - Had an old video cassette recording of this updated "Romeo-Juliet" film, which I use to teach my 9th grade English classes for the required curriculum, but the old tape wore out and skipped and blipped, so I recently ordered the new CD, at a most reasonable price (which I can deduct for income taxes for school supplies I pay for myself yearly), and it arrived on a timely basis, in brand-new seal-wrapped conditon. Already showed it last week at the end of my summer school English 9 classes and it was fab, as always. I like the original Zefferelli (sic?) version, but love this one, too, with Leonardo, Claire, John, and the incredible actors playing Mercutio and Prince Escalus. I NEVER before really understood Mercutio's "Queen Mab" soliloquy until I saw this modern version and then it all hit me like a "crystal bullet to the brain" (was that Marlon speaking in "Apocalypse"? -- Did I get that quote right?). Anyhow, thanks, Amazon, for your always timely and affordable service, particularly where teachers are concerned. I'm your biggest fan! DeLana Beagle (:
