How Is Mercution and Tybalt's Death Represented

In Luhrmann’s version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the death of Tybalt and Mercutio are depicted very well. From the scenes leading up to their deaths, to the actual death scene themselves, the acting and use of camera angles give a more in depth look at their deaths. The use of techniques and camera shots clearly display the effects intended in the recontextualised version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
In the scene leading up to Mercutio’s death, there are many close ups of Mercutio which convey his facial characteristics as well as his care-free personality. Mercutio is wearing a flowing shirt which also interprets his characteristics. Even when he is stabbed, he keeps his humorous façade. Even so that Benvolio believes everything is alright and it was ‘just a scratch’. When Mercutio dies, we see him lying on the ground in a long shot, there is wind billowing above him and then Luhramm uses pathetic fallacy. This gives a feeling of an apocalyptic world. The weather suddenly becomes dark and stormy as the tension builds. The film then cuts to Juliet which is contrasting between the violence of Romeo and Tybalt. Juliet is shown between these scenes to remind viewers of the love she has for Romeo and the bond she has with Tybalt. Juliet is shown as innocent when we then see Romeo in a violent state.
In Tybalt’s death scene, the surroundings are dark and have lots of tension. They way that Tybalt fell into the water and gave an impression that he was crucified. With his arms stretched and his back straight. He looks down upon his opponents to make him superior to others and it is always Tybalt he begins fights. Luhramm uses perspective shots when the camera close-ups on Tybalts face. Tyablt first initiates a one-shot gun fight and when Tybalt dies, it is very dark and is a recurring motif in the film. Even before Tybalt dies he is still provoking Romeo as he has a very proud personality.
In conclusion, the way that Luhramm shows the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio are very well depicted and show the personality and characteristics of the two opposing characters. Luhramm uses many techniques and motifs in the recontextualised version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. He used different camera shots to convey a more in-depth picture of the scenes and close-ups.