CINEMANIA 27: ROMEO + JULIETA WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

A big hug to all this great community of hive, I hope you are all super well, and welcome to cinemania, today I will be talking about a movie which is a contemporary classic of one of the most successful and dramatic stories in the world, and which have made more thousands of versions in all languages known in the world, have been made movies, plays, musicals, etc.. But this version in particular marked the cinema at the time of its release, for being a version made with two characteristics, the ancient language and the style of the new era. I am talking about Romeo and Juliet or Romeo + Juliet.

Romeo + Juliet is a movie of 1996, which is its premiere had a great impact on the public, also had positive and negative reviews, the positive opinions were seen more in the female audience for that language that is captured poetic, as in the written work of "Shakespeare" not to lose the essence of written work, but set in the present time, where the swords are changed for weapons, and the costumes for jeans and t-shirts, the town of "Verona" where everything happens is called "Verona Beach" very similar to "Los Angeles" and the horses are changed for luxury cars.

ROMEO & JULIETA.

Plot:
The story of the movie takes place in the modern era of the year 1996, in Verona Beach, where two business families are enemies, the Montagues and the Capulets, where they face each other with firearms every time they meet face to face, but these two families have two young people who will turn the whole story upside down, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. These two young men meet at a party at the Capulet's house and there they meet and fall in love at first sight, without knowing their surnames, they fall in love. But when they realize it, the two boys look for a way to be together and with the help of Julieta's nanny and father Lorenso, they manage to get married secretly, without the families knowing it. But something happens, Teobaldo Capuleto, looks for Romero to kill him because he entered his house the day of the party and this he took it as an offense, Romero for not wanting to fight to death with his weapon, this one gives some blows to Romero, but his friend Mercucio Escalus, for rage throws himself on Teobaldo and among the fight of the three Mercucio gets a wound under his arm and falls.Romero, upon seeing Teobaldo's death, kills him, but before this he lets them know that their families will pay a price. When arriving to the violent events the "Captain Prince Escalus" gives a verdict, since Romero killed Teobaldo because Teobaldo started the trouble and killed Mercucio, the captain dictates the banishment of Romeo from Verona. Juliet in the meantime is forced to marry the young "Paris" and she cannot because she is Romeo's wife, Juliet asks father Lorenzo for help so that she can be with her husband in exile, he gives Juliet a poison that will put her to sleep and she will be paralyzed as dead while he warns Romeo, something that never happens and he learns of Juliet's death and returns to Verona looking for the church where Juliet is being veiled, and with a few words he takes a poison that kills her instantly, between this Juliet wakes up and Romeo is in agony and is in tears, he kills himself with Romeo's firearm. Thus ends the tragic love story between these two young men from two feuding families of Verona.

Protagonists:
The main protagonists of the story are actors "Leonardo DiCaprio" playing Romeo Montague and "Claire Danes" as Juliet Capulet. As well as actors "John Leguizamo" as Teobaldo Capulet, "Dash Mihok" as Benvolio Montague, "Harold Perrineau Jr." as Mercutio Escalus and "Pete Postlethwaite" as Father Lorenzo. Among other actors who play background roles.

Release date:
The film was released on November 1, 1996 in the United States and in various parts of the world have other release dates, being a box office success at the time of its release having a pre-budget of 14 million dollars and collecting 147.5 billion dollars. In the course of time it has become a cult movie for its fans and is to date the best successful adaptation of all time.

Director:
The director of this film is "Baz Luhrmann" who is a very well known director, among his best known films is the film "Moulin Rouge" in Romeo + Juliet, you can see his energetic and vibrant style. Something very characteristic in his films.

Producer:
The executive producer of the film is "Craig Pearce", who along with "Luhrmann" who was also part of the production and "Gabriella Martinelli", produce all this incredible film, "Pearce" also worked on the film of "Moulin Rouge" with his friend Baz.

Screenplay:
The script of the film was written by "Luhrmann and Pearce" both producer and director of the film, they were in charge of writing the story making it modern to this time, leaving intact the poetic language that "Shakespeare" composed in the original story. Thus giving a unique touch for the time in the modernized movies. This language along with the modern twist was what made the film a total success especially among the female audience because of the poetics of the story. Since in modern times you don't hear anyone use or speak in this way.

Soundtrack:
The music of this movie is incredible, it counts with the musical composition of "Nellee Hooper", "Marius de Vries" "Craig Armstrong". These three composers made the instrumental music of the film, giving each scene a feeling that puts you in the plot, making you experience along with the tape, the sadness and fear that the protagonists capture. It also has incredible songs from well known bands such as "Radiohead, Garbage, The Cardigans".

Visual effects:
The special effects were in charge of the effects director "Richard Taylor" under his company "Weta Digital", they used many effects in the film, between camera tricks, camera distortions, slow time shots, to create certain scenes, as well as the explosions and the shootings. Weta Digital did an incredible visual job.

Fun fact:
-One fact is that this is version of the "Shakespeare" story is the first to reach box office in the United States. Another fact is that the main actors were 17 and 22 years old at the time the movie was made.
-Another fact is that the enemy families moved in trucks and cars of the brands "Ford" and "Chevy" simulating the competition and rivalry between the two brands of cars.
-One of the facts that should be noted is that Dicaprio filmed this movie long before making Titanic.

Based on:
The movie is based on the original story written by the novelist "William Shakespeare". We all know this great novel, which has been taken many times to the screen and theater including musicals, being this modernized version the one that has had more weight in the cinema since its release.

Critics.
The critics are divided as there are many negative ones, who say that the film can be a little violent for its scenes of confrontations between the members of the families and for its simulation of drugs in the party scenes, but the positive critics praise the poetic character of the story and its language, thus preserving the essence of William in the film. Also the performances of Leonardo and Cliaire Danes are incredible and the performance of the actor who plays Mercucio "Harold Perrineau Jr" stands out.

Opinion:
I think that the movie is incredible and that many people like it, especially young people who have never read the story in the book, but through the modernized movie they encounter this tragic story. It is also intriguing the way they speak and express themselves and that language is very popular nowadays among the female audience most of all. I really like the setting, the change they made from swords to guns and horses to cars, all very modern for the time, the marks of firearms, and their luxury finishes stand out a lot. The movie is totally great.

Conclusion:
In my opinion the film is a jewel of modern cinema in all its splendor, everything is very well done. It is already considered a classic of both literary and cinema history. Nowadays you can watch this film and be interested in reading the original book by William, it happened to me, it can happen to you too. I recommend it 100% to all movie lovers.

I hope you like this review and you can know a little of the history of William Shakespeare and this incredible movie. A hug and see you in a new post of cinemania. Blessings.