Romeo + Juliet (1996)
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Two teenagers from rival business empires fall in love in a modern, high-octane reimagining of the classic Shakespearean tragedy.
The story
In the modern setting of Verona Beach, the Capulets and Montagues are two rival business empires whose long-standing animosity creates a volatile atmosphere. When a violent confrontation between the two families leads to a police crackdown, the tension remains high. Amidst this conflict, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, members of the opposing sides, attend a party where they instantly fall in love. Despite the danger posed by their families' feud and the looming threat of violence, the two teenagers must navigate the complexities of their secret romance while the world around them remains divided by old grudges.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Verona Beach, the Capulets and Montagues are rival business empires. After a violent clash between Tybalt and Mercutio leads to Mercutio's death and Tybalt's subsequent death at the hands of Romeo, the Prince banishes Romeo. Meanwhile, Juliet is pressured by her father to marry the wealthy Dave Paris. To escape this, she takes a potion from Father Laurence to feign death, intending to reunite with Romeo in the Capulet vault. However, a miscommunication leads Romeo to believe she is actually dead. He consumes poison in the vault, only to be joined by Juliet, who awakens and kills herself with his gun. The film ends with the parents of both houses discovering their children's bodies, realizing the cost of their feud.
- Runtime (minutes)
- 120
- Production countries
- United States; Mexico; Australia; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Baz Luhrmann
- Writers
- Craig Pearce · screenplay; Baz Luhrmann · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Leonardo DiCaprio · Romeo Montague; Claire Danes · Juliet Capulet; Brian Dennehy · Ted Montague; John Leguizamo · Tybalt; Pete Postlethwaite · Father Laurence; Paul Sorvino · Fulgencio Capulet; Diane Venora · Gloria Capulet; Harold Perrineau · Mercutio
- Genres
- romantic crime; drama
- Themes
- forbidden love; family feud; fate; modernity vs tradition
- Tone and mood
- stylized; intense; modern
- Premise and plot tags
- Shakespeare adaptation; romance; action; mafia-style
- Source material / true-story basis
- William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has since become a cult classic, noted for its unique blend of modern aesthetics and traditional Shakespearean language.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 75% · scale: percentage · review count: 71; Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Silver Bear for Best Actor · Best Actor · win
- Production trivia
- The film features a 'Post Haste' delivery service as a modern substitute for traditional messengers.; Natalie Portman was originally cast as Juliet but was deemed too young.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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