Romeo and Juliet Movie Comparison
In Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, is a traditional adaptation of Shakespeare’s original Romeo and Juliet, with some variations. Baz Luhrmann directed the 1996 version, also known as the MTV Romeo † Juliet. This version is very modernized, but keeps the language intact with few changes.
There are many differences between Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet and the Signet version of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo’s entire speech that begins “Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, Should without eyes see pathways to his will!” (at act 1 scene 1 line 174) is deleted. With the deletion of these lines, the audience, is not privy to his longing for Rosaline. Even though Friar Lawrence mentions Rosaline later in the movie, we are not shown Romeo as a boy whose heart is easily captured, but rather, ready to be caught.
In Luhrmann’s version of Romeo † Juliet, this scene, even though cut in some ways, is shown with Romeo writing in his diary. He talks of his love, but he does not seem like he’s in love, but rather a repressed adolescent or a typical teen. Romeo doesn’t confide later to Benvolio as in the Signet version.
In the MTV version of Romeo † Juliet, the Nurse’s role is cut considerably. Her speech about “weaning” Juliet, and Juliet falling with her first steps, and the reference to the earthquake are deleted. This is a major change because it completely changes the dynamics of the relationship between the Nurse and Juliet. We do not get the same sense of closeness between the two as we do in the Zeffirelli film. We also do not see the scene where the Nurse tells about Romeo’s banishment and Tybalt’s death. The reason for this is because of the speed of the film. Luhrmann keeps the pace of this film at very high speeds, and when you look back at the text, the Nurse’s role slows the pace considerably. She’s older, she’s slower, and she’s trying to extend her importance to Juliet and Romeo, but in the MTV Version, her role is cut drastically, which only
There are many differences between Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet and the Signet version of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo’s entire speech that begins “Alas that love, whose view is muffled still, Should without eyes see pathways to his will!” (at act 1 scene 1 line 174) is deleted. With the deletion of these lines, the audience, is not privy to his longing for Rosaline. Even though Friar Lawrence mentions Rosaline later in the movie, we are not shown Romeo as a boy whose heart is easily captured, but rather, ready to be caught.
In Luhrmann’s version of Romeo † Juliet, this scene, even though cut in some ways, is shown with Romeo writing in his diary. He talks of his love, but he does not seem like he’s in love, but rather a repressed adolescent or a typical teen. Romeo doesn’t confide later to Benvolio as in the Signet version.
In the MTV version of Romeo † Juliet, the Nurse’s role is cut considerably. Her speech about “weaning” Juliet, and Juliet falling with her first steps, and the reference to the earthquake are deleted. This is a major change because it completely changes the dynamics of the relationship between the Nurse and Juliet. We do not get the same sense of closeness between the two as we do in the Zeffirelli film. We also do not see the scene where the Nurse tells about Romeo’s banishment and Tybalt’s death. The reason for this is because of the speed of the film. Luhrmann keeps the pace of this film at very high speeds, and when you look back at the text, the Nurse’s role slows the pace considerably. She’s older, she’s slower, and she’s trying to extend her importance to Juliet and Romeo, but in the MTV Version, her role is cut drastically, which only