Romeo and Juliet: A comparison between the new and the old! By: Aaron Dickman The 1996 Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet is unusual because it takes place in modern times. This creates an interesting setting for a play written in the 15th century. Luhrmann manages to create a movie that is remarkably faithful to the play's vision and sense of tragedy without drastically changing the play. The characters of Romeo and Juliet are a colorful …showed first 75 words of 863 total…

…showed last 75 words of 863 total…great adaptation from play to film. Many of the changes help today's audiences understand the play more clearly, in a setting that is familiar to us. This shows Luhrmann knew the differences between theater and cinema. Rather than making a 4-hour film with the complete text, he combined the great Shakesperian text with the possibilities of film: Don't tell them, show them. That's why Romeo and Juliet is above all a feast for the eye.