Romeo And Juliet Comparative Essay

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Franco Zeffirelli’s film adaptation of Act I Scene V from “Romeo and Juliet” is a better adaptation than the 1996 version because it uses intentional cinematography and direction to convey specific emotions and meanings. In the notes written during the film, it is observed that Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation uses “multiple dynamic long shots,” whereas Zeffirelli uses “static shots throughout the scene, only using a few dynamic shots.” These static shots creates emotional tension that is built up, then released in a series of dynamic shots. These dynamic shots feels intense, showing the nature of the emotion. This build up and release also gives the viewer a closer connection to the character, as it shows his perspective both physically and emotionally. Baz’s, however, creates an …show more content…

Also, during the beginning, “Zeffirelli only shows Juliet from a distance in a crowd, centering her in the shot.” This conveys Romeo’s perspective and immediate love, staring at her and ignoring everyone else in the crowd. This intense focus shows that Romeo, despite just seeing her, is not willing to fall in love with anyone else. The camera mirrors this, with the camera “never looking away from [Juliet].” It also makes their first meet more intense, as it is the first unobstructed close up on Juliet. Luhrmann attempts to do this by “creating a barrier between the two actors”, in the form of a “fish tank” and Zeffirelli does this “by placing actors in between them and finally meeting at the end.” Baz, however, does not convey the situation in the same way as Zeffirelli does; by blocking the scene, Zeffirelli both figuratively and literally creates obstacles (which in this case are people) for the two lovers, foreshadowing the future events. Zeffirelli’s use of static shots also gives it a play-like feel, compared to the constant barrage of dynamic shots in Luhrmann’s scene. This play-like feel gives an intentionally linear atmosphere to the film, giving the emotions implied

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