Amazon.com: Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom) takes a shot at reinventing Shakespeare's story of star-crossed lovers as a visual pastiche inspired by MTV imagery, Hong Kong action-picture clichés, and Luhrmann's own taste for deliberate, gaudy excess. The result is explosive chaos, both in terms of bullets and visual sensibility, which some may find impossible to stick with for more than a few minutes. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the leads, though not with much distinction, while Pete Postlethwaite makes a huge impression as this movie's version of Friar Laurence. The film is successful in spots, but overall its fever-dream game plan is difficult to ride out. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
I general like Shakespeare to be done in the time it was written for. However, I enjoy anything that Leonardo DiCaprio or Clair Dane does and totally enjoy this film eventhough it has been brought up ... Read More
Rating: - Fantastic Movie
This is a great movie and the format is also wonderful in that you can stop the DVD and just look and listen to certain songs in the film. It's a terrific way to present a classic..
Rating: - Tripe
First of all, why the need to call it "William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet"?
I mean, was there a danger of the public confusing it with Barbara Cartland's or Edgar Allen Poe's Romeo & Juliet? ... Read More
Rating: - I Love this Movie
Amazing Actors, wonderful cinematography, this movie is a great update of Shakespeare. It keeps with the original language of the play, (which may sound suprisingly modern to some at certain points). The only ... Read More
Rating: - Shakespeare Rocks
Love this version of Romeo & Juliet. I call it "in your face Shakespeare." It is a good introduction to Shakespeare for teenagers. It shows them that the themes of older literature are still relevant today in ... Read More
- Fantastic Movie
- Tripe