Baz Lurhman’s Romeo + Juliet may be one of the worst films I have ever seen. The first ten minutes play more like a trailer to a film rather than an opening credit scene. It moves at a rapid rate that it is impossible to understand what exactly is happening. The majority of actors aren’t trained in Shakespeare which makes most of the meaning go away. And then the music really gets in the way of the story and becomes something that it should never do: becomes its own, separate entity rather than work cohesively with the film.
If one looks at brief glimpses of how Romeo + Juliet was filmed, then it might seem like a beautifully unique film. When seen in its entirety, it becomes one long mess of terrible camera work and terribly built sets. Trying to do something poetic with his film, Baz throws at the screen hundreds of images, all in a confusing, rapid, and schizophrenic fashion that any meaning is lost. And in a series of scenes with Juliet and her mother and her nurse which are supposed to be more subdued and mellow scenes in the play, they speed up the camera work as if it was some silent film where everyone moves at a faster rate. There is no point to do what they did, and it baffles me whenever I try to think about it. And then, with the repetitive imagery, Baz constantly places shots of fireworks in his film. Is it symbolic with some sexual act? Is it supposed to mean the loud chaos that occurs around him? I have no idea, and by half way through the film, it becomes laughable.
Then the actors, my God, the terrible actors. The nurse and the friar may be the only good actors in the entire film. Leonardo di Caprio is so terrible as Romeo, trying to look hot for the fan girls, but ultimately looking like a whiny boy with a gun. The actor who plays Mercutio is just as bad, who looks like a drag queen and acts like it. I never feel threatened by him and I don’t care about him when he dies. And Claire Danes can’t cry. It sounds like she is choking on a really bad dinner that her mother forced down her throat. She, just like diCrapio (that was not a type-o), tries to look sexy and hot on camera, but instead makes us men revolt at the sight of her.
One last thing that I didn't enjoy about this film was the music. It didn’t work. It became so forced and overpowering that it became its own thing; a soundtrack that doesn’t work with the film, but instead works against it and becomes its own, separte entity is not a good soundtrack. Every second of the music is out of place, even more out of place than the camera work and the actors.
This film may appeal to teenagers who enjoy this type of seizure inducing camerawork, obviously the same people who like listening to overpowering music and attending raves that blind the average American. I simply don't see anyone who doesn't like loud music, schizophrenic images, and blinding lights (and Leonardo diCaprio) liking this film.
Everything about this film is done terribly. From the pacing and camerawork to the actors and music, nothing in this film works, unless you consider working against each other working well. I will be trying really hard to forget this experience and go back to Kenneth Branagh or Zefferelli for my Shakespeare fix.
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