In director Baz Luhrmann's contemporary take on William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, the Montagues and Capulets have moved their ongoing feud to the sweltering suburb of Verona Beach, where Romeo and Juliet fall in love and secretly wed. Though the film is visually modern, the bard's dialogue remains.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 15 wins & 29 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
rotten:
Puts Shakespeare's greatest romance in a choke-hold and takes it slam-dancing.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
28 Aug 2002
rotten:
Where is the audience willing to watch a classic play thrown in the path of a subway train?
– Janet Maslin,
New York Times,
20 May 2003
fresh:
Luhrmann's gleefully cinematic version of the play is so relentlessly inventive and innovative, it takes 20 minutes to get a grasp on how appropriate is his approach to the material.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
rotten:
Doesn't approach the emotional resonance of Franco Zeffirelli's immensely popular 1968 screen version.
– Todd McCarthy,
Variety,
11 Jun 2008
rotten:
A slick blast of ''decadence,'' the kind of violent swank-trash music video that may make you feel like reaching for the remote control.