Romeo + Juliet - Luhrmann's version of the Shakespeare classic still packs a punch | First Take Classics

When the blog came into being 13 years ago, during a time when the original text was prominently featured on English A-levels, this was the film that was used to make Shakespeare's work more accessible to a modern eye - and knowing now about the journey Baz Lurhmann went on to get this film made, it is incredible to still see it used as part of many English courses that use the play as one of the core elements of study.

Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona, while still retaining its original dialogue.

Luhrmann's style is evident throughout the 2 hour film that still holds up on the big screen nearly 30 years later - the needle drops, the camerawork, and that uniqueness he honed making Strictly Ballroom and his future work are all here. Taking Shakespeare's original text and putting it in a modern scenario, swapping the 1700s for mid-1990s Verona, Luhrmann and Craig Pearce do an immense job translating the source material to a contemporary landscape, something which is aided by an incredible soundtrack curated by Craig Armstrong and Nellee Hooper. Garbage, The Cardigans, Radiohead, and of course the song which inspired many people to wear sunscreen (yes, the original sample for Luhrmann's iconic 'lecture' can be found in Quindon Tarver's song for this film) form one hell of a soundtrack album, and with cinematography from Donald McAlpine, all of the technical elements form the foundation of a very strong adaptation for a beloved play.

Understandably with the source material you need two good leads to sell the romance, and here, it's a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes (wonder what they'd go on to do in the future) who portray that unrequited relationship so so well, despite, allegedly, having some beef around Danes' crush on the man himself. Young love, ladies and gentlemen, it can make and break any film! Other standouts include John Leguizamo, Brian Dennehy, Paul Sorvino, Harold Perrineau (who is involved in one of the film's most iconic setpieces - the Capulet party), Pete Postlethwaite, Paul Rudd, the great Miriam Margolyes, and a proper all-rounder of a cast list that makes this film come alive. You know you've witnessed a brilliant film if the ending continues to hit hard when Exit Music (From A Film) comes on at the start of the credits.

THE VERDICT

1996 gave us some bloody incredible things, this film being one of them - this film is the reason many students made it through their studies of the original material without imploding. It's so good to see cinemas programme it as part of wider celebrations of Luhrmann's work (to honour the recent release of his Elvis documentary), because so many people never got to see it where Baz intended it: on the big screen.

RATING: 4/5