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Romeo + Juliet
1996 120 min Australia, United States of America PG-13 12+
★7.2
Drama, Romance
Director: Baz Luhrmann
🎭 Based on
«Romeo and Juliet»
byWilliam Shakespeare
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
In this 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.
Budget:
$14.5M
US Gross:
$46.35M
Worldwide:
$147.3M
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Actor
Claire Danes
Actor
John Leguizamo
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1998
— Best Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA 1998
— Best Production Design
Berlin International Film Festival 1997
— Silver Bear – Best Actor
Academy Awards 1997
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 1998
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 1998
— Best Cinematography
Berlin International Film Festival 1997
— Silver Bear – Best Actor
Berlin International Film Festival 1997
— Alfred Bauer Prize
Berlin International Film Festival 1997
— Golden Bear
BAFTA 1998
— Best Film Editing
BAFTA 1998
— David Lean Award for Direction
BAFTA 1998
— Best Sound
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1997
— Best Actress
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1997
— Best Picture
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1997
— Best Actor
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1997
— Best On-Screen Duo
MTV Movie & TV Awards 1997
— Best Kiss
European Film Awards 1997
— Screen International Award
BAFTA 1998
— Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Key opinion
Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is a polarizing, hyper-stylized reimagining that divides audiences between those who admire its bold, kinetic modernization and those who find its juxtaposition of classic text and contemporary gang aesthetics jarring. While the film is widely praised for its vibrant visual identity and iconic soundtrack, opinions remain split on whether the experimental delivery honors the original work or renders it incoherent.
| Production | The film’s vibrant, kinetic visual language and opulent production design establish an unmistakable and immersive atmosphere. | |
| Score | The soundtrack, particularly the integration of "Kissing You," is widely considered a successful, atmospheric element that elevates the emotional stakes. | |
| Acting | Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes deliver compelling, charismatic performances that successfully anchor the central romance. | |
| Adaptation | The use of original Shakespearean dialogue within a 20th-century gang setting creates a divisive "clash" that some find innovative and others find nonsensical. | |
| Editing | Luhrmann’s frenetic editing and experimental camerawork are praised as visionary by fans, but criticized by others as distracting and exhausting. |