William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

UPC: 024543034650

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Suitable for Teens]

Summary: The classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy is updated by director Baz Luhrmann to a post-modern Verona Beach where swords are merely a brand of gun and bored youths are easily spurred toward violence. Longtime rivals in religion and business, the Montagues and the Capulets share a page from the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story when they form rival gangs. Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) is aloof toward the goings-on of his Montague cousins, but after he realizes that Juliet (Claire Danes) is a Capulet at the end of one very wild party, the enmity between the two clans becomes the root of his angst. He relies heavily -- and with serious consequences -- on his rebel gender-bender of a friend, Mercutio (Harold Perrineau Jr.), and Father (not Friar) Lawrence (Pete Postlethwaite) for protection and support. Romeo is, of course, exiled, and it looks like Juliet will be forced into an arranged marriage with the bland Paris (Paul Rudd). It ends, as Romeo and Juliet must, when Romeo hears a tragic piece of misinformation and brings his suicide wish to what was meant to be Juliet 's temporary tomb. This time, though, the turf and the weapon of choice have taken a turn toward the surreal. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Category: Romance

Awards: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction-Set Decoration – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Alfred Bauer Prize – Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actor – Berlin International Film Festival

Features: Commentary by Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Don McAlpine and Craig Pearce
Cinematographer's gallery: Scene studies by Don McAlpine
Director's gallery: Go behind the scenes with Baz Luhrmann
Cast & crew interviews
Design gallery: Production stills narrated by Catherine Martin
Music videos: "Young Hearts Run Free" by Kym Mazelle; "Kissing You" by Des'ree
DVD-ROM*: Screenplay comparison excerpts
Theatrical trailer, tv spots & more
Anamoprhic widescreen (aspect ratio 2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

Format: DVD

Release Date: 01/14/2003

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 120 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet [Special Edition]
1. The Prologue [4:39]
2. Sycamore Grove [2:54]
3. Bachelor of the Year [3:59]
4. The Pool Hall [1:29]
5. The Capulet Mansion [3:07]
6. Mecutio at Sycamore Grove [3:14]
7. The Party Parties [1:45]
8. Romeo Spies Juliet [1:25]
9. Fulgencio Warns Tybalt [2:25]
10. Juliet, the Flirt [1:22]
11. First Kisses [2:10]
12. The Revelation [1:01]
13. The Party's Over [1:45]
14. Romeo Sneaks Back In [2:42]
15. Arranging the Marriage [7:19]
16. Boys on the Beach [3:06]
17. Romeo Gets the Word From the Nurse [1:48]
18. The Nurse Teases Juliet [2:13]
19. The Wedding [2:08]
20. Death on a Summer's Day [1:34]
21. Retribution at Twilight [2:04]
22. A Wedding Night [7:13]
23. Juliet learns Her Options [1:00]
24. Romeo Misses a Message in Mantua [6:09]
25. Juliet Takes Her Medicine [1:25]
26. Romeo Learns of His Beloved's Fate [6:31]
27. Together at Last [4:19]
28. Epilogue [2:51]
29. End Titles [2:37]

Lucia Bozzola

For the 1996 cinematic version of Romeo+Juliet, Strictly Ballroom (1992) director Baz Luhrmann opted to flamboyantly update Shakespeare for the MTV generation. From the moment the Capulets and Montagues are introduced via the evening news, and the rival gangs engage in a semi-automatic "sword" shoot-out, Luhrmann's restlessly post-modern interpretation of the teen romance to end all others never lets up. The vibrant colors and costumes, florid "Verona Beach" settings, souped-up pace, watery balcony interlude, and kinetic widescreen cinematography culminate in a neon-lit death scene that alone was worth the Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction. The diverse soundtrack, including 1990s alternative rock, dance music, and a choral cover by Prince matches the equally eclectic cast. Not all critics, though, were enthralled by Luhrmann's hyper-stylized vision, nor convinced that Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio's naturalistic style did justice to the Bard. Still, the couple's youth and chemistry added up to a convincing romance, helping to turn Romeo+Juliet into a box-office success, and leaving Berlin Film Festival prize-winner DiCaprio poised to become a teen dream in 1997's blockbuster Titanic. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Miriam Margolyes  Actor 
Jamie Kennedy  Actor 
Jesse Bradford  Actor 
Paul Rudd  Actor 
Brian Dennehy  Actor 
Diane Venora  Actor 
Vincent Laresca  Actor 
Christina Pickles  Actor 
Dash Mihok  Actor 
Vondie Curtis-Hall  Actor 
Carlos Martin Manzo Ortalora  Actor 
M. Emmet Walsh  Actor 
Craig Pearce  Screenwriter 
Baz Luhrmann  Director 
Baz Luhrmann  Producer 
Baz Luhrmann  Screenwriter 
Gabriella Martinelli  Producer 
Martin Brown  Screenwriter 
Nellee Hooper  Composer (Music Score) 
Leonardo DiCaprio  Actor 
Claire Danes  Actor 
John Leguizamo  Actor 
Harold Perrineau, Jr.  Actor 
Pete Postlethwaite  Actor 
Paul Sorvino  Actor 

Country: USA