Let’s be real for a second. If you went to high school any time after 1996, your entire mental image of Shakespeare wasn't some dusty leather-bound book or a guy in tights. It was Leonardo DiCaprio in a Hawaiian shirt. It was Clare Danes in angel wings. It was a gas station exploding in slow motion while a choir sang. Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet didn't just adapt a play; it basically reinvented how we look at 16th-century dialogue in a 20th-century world.
It was loud. It was chaotic. Honestly, it was a bit of a mess, but in the best way possible.
Critics at the time were... split, to say the least. Some hated the "MTV style" editing. They thought the fast cuts and the pop music were insulting to the Bard. But they missed the point. Shakespeare wrote for the masses, not for academics sitting in quiet libraries. He wrote for the loud, drunk, rowdy crowds at the Globe Theatre. By turning Verona into "Verona Beach" and swords into "Sword" brand 9mm handguns, Luhrmann actually captured the spirit of the original play better than almost anyone else ever has.
The Chaos of Verona Beach
The world-building in Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet is what sets it apart. You’ve got these two warring corporate empires—the Montagues and the Capulets—living in a hyper-stylized version of Miami or Mexico City. It’s colorful, it’s sweaty, and it feels dangerous.
When John Leguizamo’s Tybalt struts onto the screen, he’s not just a villain. He’s a powder keg. The way he uses his heels to grind out a cigar while "The Montague Boys" mock him across a gas station forecourt is pure cinema. It creates a tension that feels immediate. You forget you're listening to iambic pentameter because the visual language is so modern.
It’s about the "Post-Modern" aesthetic. Luhrmann, along with his production designer (and wife) Catherine Martin, created a visual language that felt like a collage. You had religious iconography everywhere—huge statues of Jesus, neon crosses, Virgin Mary shirts—mixed with high-fashion suits and grimy street culture. It shouldn't work. On paper, it sounds like a disaster. But on screen, it’s a fever dream you don't want to wake up from.
Why the Casting Was Lightning in a Bottle
Leonardo DiCaprio was 21. Claire Danes was only 16. That age gap (or lack thereof) mattered. In many previous versions, like the 1968 Zeffirelli film, the actors were young, but DiCaprio brought a specific kind of "Tiger Beat" heartthrob energy that made the stakes feel life-or-death. Because for a teenager, everything is life-or-death.
DiCaprio’s Romeo isn't a stoic hero. He’s a moody, crying, impulsive kid. When he screams "I defy you, stars!" after learning of Juliet's "death," he’s not reciting lines. He’s falling apart.
And Claire Danes? She was actually the second choice. Natalie Portman was originally cast but was eventually deemed too young relative to DiCaprio, which created an awkward dynamic during rehearsals. Danes stepped in and brought this grounded, soulful intelligence to Juliet. She wasn't just a girl on a balcony; she was the only person in the whole movie who seemed to have her head screwed on straight, right up until the moment she didn't.
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The Soundtrack That Defined a Generation
You cannot talk about Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet without talking about the music. Seriously. It’s arguably the most important "character" in the film.
Nellee Hooper, who worked with Massive Attack and Björk, produced the soundtrack. It was a bizarre, brilliant mix of alternative rock, disco, and choral arrangements.
- Des'ree’s "I'm Kissing You": This plays during the first time they see each other through the fish tank. It’s haunting. It’s slow. It stops the frantic pace of the party dead in its tracks.
- The Cardigans "Lovefool": A pop masterpiece that masked the darker themes of the movie with a sugary-sweet melody.
- Radiohead’s "Exit Music (For a Film)": Thom Yorke wrote this specifically for the end credits after seeing a screening. It’s one of the most devastating pieces of music ever put to celluloid.
The music did the heavy lifting for the audience. If you didn't quite catch the meaning of a specific Shakespearean soliloquy, the swell of the orchestra or the thumping bass of a techno track told you exactly how to feel. It bridged the gap between 1597 and 1996.
Breaking the "Stage" Barriers
One of the coolest things Luhrmann did was how he handled the "Chorus." In the play, the Chorus is a narrator who tells you exactly what’s going to happen. In the film, the Chorus is a TV news anchor.
"Two households, both alike in dignity..."
It’s delivered as a breaking news report on a small, grainy television screen. It makes sense. In our world, a massive blood feud between two wealthy families wouldn't be told by a guy in a cape; it would be on the 6 o'clock news. This kind of "translation" is why the movie holds up. It doesn't treat the source material like a fragile antique. It treats it like a living, breathing story that is still happening today.
The Fish Tank Scene: A Masterclass in Visuals
Think about the first meeting. No words. Just a piece of glass and some tropical fish.
It’s one of the most famous scenes in romantic cinema. By removing the dialogue for those first few seconds, Luhrmann lets the chemistry between DiCaprio and Danes do the work. It’s pure, unadulterated "love at first sight." It’s also a clever way to show that they are in their own little world, separated from the chaos of the party by the water and the glass.
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But, of course, the glass is also a barrier. It foreshadows the fact that they can see each other, but they can never truly be together without something breaking.
What People Still Get Wrong
There’s a common misconception that this movie is "style over substance." People say Luhrmann is too flashy.
But look at the Mercutio. Harold Perrineau’s performance is legendary. He plays Mercutio as a drag queen, full of wit, rage, and a deep-seated sadness. His delivery of the "Queen Mab" speech is a frantic, drug-fueled monologue that captures the character’s descent into cynicism. When he dies on that beach, shouting "A plague o' both your houses!", the movie shifts. The saturated colors seem to drain away. The sun goes down. The comedy is over.
That’s not just style. That’s an expert understanding of the play’s structure. The play is a comedy until Mercutio dies; then it becomes a tragedy. Luhrmann follows that blueprint perfectly, using his camera to signal the change.
The Ending Controversy
If you’re a purist, the ending of Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet might still make your blood boil. In the original play, Romeo dies, then Juliet wakes up and finds him dead.
In the 1996 film? Juliet wakes up just as Romeo has swallowed the poison.
They have a split second of recognition. She touches his face. He realizes he’s made a horrible, irreversible mistake. Then he dies.
Is it "accurate" to the text? No. Is it more dramatic? Absolutely. It’s the ultimate "gut punch." It heightens the tragedy by showing us exactly how close they were to a happy ending. It’s cruel, and it’s brilliant.
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Impact on Modern Filmmaking
You can see the fingerprints of this movie on almost every "teen" adaptation that followed. It proved that you could take high art and make it commercial without losing the soul of the work. It paved the way for things like 10 Things I Hate About You or even Luhrmann’s own Moulin Rouge!.
It also changed how we view "Shakespearean actors." Before this, you had to be a classically trained British actor with a booming voice to tackle these roles. DiCaprio proved that a kid from California could do it with a cigarette in his hand and still make it feel authentic.
Why You Should Rewatch It Now
If you haven't seen it in a decade, it’s time to go back.
In 2026, we are living in an era of hyper-fast content and visual overload. In a way, the world has finally caught up to Baz Luhrmann’s editing style. What felt "too fast" in 1996 now feels perfectly paced for a generation raised on TikTok and quick-cut YouTube videos.
But beyond the flash, there’s a real heart. It’s a story about how hate—pointless, generational hate—destroys the most beautiful things in the world. That’s a message that hasn't aged a day.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Listen to the 10th Anniversary Soundtrack: It includes tracks that weren't on the original release, including the full orchestral scores by Craig Armstrong that are often overlooked.
- Track Down the "Behind the Scenes" Footage: There is a great documentary called The Music of Romeo + Juliet that shows how they recorded the gospel versions of the songs.
- Compare it to The Great Gatsby: If you want to see how Luhrmann’s style evolved, watch his 2013 adaptation of Gatsby. You’ll see the same use of anachronistic music and sweeping camera moves, but with a much higher budget.
- Read the Script While Watching: Seriously. Seeing how they trimmed the play to fit a two-hour runtime is a lesson in tight screenwriting. They cut a lot of the fluff but kept every iconic line.
This film isn't just a 90s relic. It’s a loud, vibrant, bleeding-heart tribute to the idea that love is worth the chaos, even if it ends in fire.