Zeffirelli's and Luhrmann's Versions of Romeo and Juliet (Essay Sample)

Zeffirelli's and Luhrmann's Versions of Romeo and Juliet

Introduction
Franco Zefferelli of 1968 and Baz Luhrmann of 1997 versions of Romeo and Juliet films have been touted as the best films that narrate the story of Romeo and Juliet. There are several similarities and differences between the two versions until now, and there is no specific version that has been agreed upon by many to be superior to the other (Godfree 1). The discussions focus on comparing and contrasting the two versions in the quest to find out which versions are better.
Starting with the similarities, both Zeffirelli's and Luhrmann's versions had great respect for the language used by Shakespeare, the author of the original play Romeo and Juliet.
The two directors managed to keep the language similar to that of the original play (Miltelo1). The vocabulary, the names of the characters, and the tone of the plays reflected the original play. The second similarity was that both directors employed violence and weapons in the plot of their plays, although the weapons in the Luhrmann were more advanced than those in the Zefferelli play (Miller 1). Thirdly, a close look at both versions is that they all take place in the inner part of the city.
Both versions are tragedy films due to the death occurrences of the close family members and friends; the main characters in the two plays die in scenes three and two, following in the last scene. Both versions displayed romance as their main theme, and it is this romance led to the fighting and the death incidences. It was notable that the Capulet was usually in red clothing in both versions, while the Montague was in the blue and probably in purple attire (Godfree 1). Another important similarity was that both versions strived to show Romeo and Juliet's play weirdness. This play was defined by violence, sex, illegal activities, family feuds, murder, and conspiracies.
There are more differences between the two versions of Romeo and Juliet films than the similarities. The first difference is that the films were created in very different eras. Zeffirelli's film was created in 1968, and Luhrmann was created in 1997, about 30 years apart; hence, they targeted different generations, thus providing a different perspective of Shakespeare's narrative due to the different eras produced. Secondly, after a close examination of both versions, Zefferelli's film remained faithful to Shakespeare’s original play (Godfree 1). Zefferelli did not change the film from the original play because he aimed to make a film that suited people who wanted a film closely similar to the play text but with improved scenery and editing (Miltelo1). On the other hand, Luhrmann made a more modern film incorporating modern technology deviating from the original medieval classic culture.