Romeo + Juliet

Director: Baz Luhrman

1996 / 120min / DCP

Luhrmann’s adrenalized, florid, flash-bang adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy, featuring Teen Beat-heartthrob-era Leonardo DiCaprio and a fresh from My So-Called Life Claire Danes in the title roles, lays its scene in a present-day “Verona Beach” where the sound of MTV hits on the radio is inescapable, and a shooting war between the rival Montague and Capulet gangs means the constant threat of violence. With Romeo + Juliet, Luhrmann hotwires an old junior high reading list standby, tapping into the hormonal delirium of the original material via the stylistic conceits of the modern music video and effectively returning Shakespeare to his popular origins.