MovieChat Forums > Romeo + Juliet (1996) Discussion > So for everyone who didn't 'get' it...

So for everyone who didn't 'get' it...

posted 11 years ago by mikey1969
11 replies | jump to latest

The whole 'Middle English in a modern setting' thing was not done to make you think that people in Florida somehow talked like it was 500 years ago. The whole thing was set up to create a completely different reality, with slightly different cars, guns, etc. It's not supposed to have a direct analogue to anything we know now, because it ISN'T 'now'

Shakespeare's stuff has been doe a million times in period clothing and on period sets. It's been done a million times with new titles and completely set in the world of today('10 Thing I Hate About You ring any bells?). It has never been done where the new meets the old and everything is mixed. Since it is more or less an alternate reality, then this works.

Of course, if you didn't figure this out on your own, I've probably totally wasted my time here, but I got this the first time around and figured I'd try and help out...

[–] BelleCBelle 9 years ago

I think this is a beautiful interpretation and I live in Florida.

"Wow. Our town has only had a Whole Foods for three weeks and we already have our first gay kids."

[–] AndrewGS 8 years ago

The whole 'Middle English in a modern setting' thing was not done to make you think that people in Florida somehow talked like it was 500 years ago. The whole thing was set up to create a completely different reality, with slightly different cars, guns, etc.

Shakespeare's stuff has been doe a million times in period clothing and on period sets. It's been done a million times with new titles and completely set in the world of today('10 Thing I Hate About You ring any bells?). It has never been done where the new meets the old and everything is mixed.

To me the point of a modernization (or most non-period adaptations) is to compare conditions of the past with the present. For most things to be modern but use the old dialogue seems limiting and for the film to declare itself A Fictional Alternate Reality Movie likewise. Fiction should be provocative but suspending disbelief is still very important.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of the old in the film aside from the dialogue itself and the religiosity of the characters, especially Juliet. OTOH Mercutio being a drag queen and Romeo using drugs especially felt like new for the sake of new and taking away from rather than adding to the story.