Romeo and Juliet, a renowned dramatic love story, is often compared to the film created by Baz Luhrman. Traditionally, books are deemed superior to their cinematic counterparts; however, this may not apply to Romeo and Juliet. Both the play and the movie possess merits and flaws. Although they exhibit similarities, there are also disparities and deficiencies between them. Certain elements from the play can be found in the film adaptation.
Both the play and movie are excellent in their own ways, with their own strengths and weaknesses. In both the movie and play, Romeo and Juliet meet at the Capulet party. Romeo attends the party with his friends Mercutio and Benvolio. Initially, he is infatuated with a girl named Rosaline, but his feelings quickly change when he lays eyes on Juliet. With just a simple glance, Romeo falls madly in love with her. They share their first kiss while dancing and continue to have more kisses throughout their story. However, their bliss is interrupted when the nurse arrives and whisks Juliet away.
Both the play and the movie depict the conflict between Tybalt, who is Juliet’s cousin, and Mercutio, who is Romeo’s close friend. This confrontation takes place on the day that Romeo and Juliet secretly get married. In the play, Tybalt stabs Mercutio in the side with a sword when Romeo intervenes, while in the movie he uses a piece of broken glass. This incident angers Romeo greatly, causing him to seek revenge for his friend’s death by fighting Tybalt, which ultimately leads to Tybalt’s unfortunate demise. The movie portrays this scene with more visual effects and dramatic impact compared to the play. Another difference between these two adaptations lies in how Romeo discovers the Capulet party where he meets Juliet. In the play, it so happens that Romeo is present when a serving man asks if he can read, and Romeo reads out loud an invitation to attend the party.
The serving man expressed his gratitude for Romeo’s help by informing him that his master is the wealthy Capulet and inviting him to join them for a cup of wine. He also added that if Romeo is not from the Montague family, he is welcome to come. Romeo accepts the invitation and attends the party, concealing his true identity. In contrast, the movie portrays Romeo discovering the party while playing pool, as he sees a commercial inviting him to attend. The play, however, is superior as it is more suitable for the time period and carries a more romantic essence, emphasizing the significance of Romeo’s presence at the party for his eventual encounter with Juliet.
It seemed like fate brought them together. One of the most famous and significant parts of Romeo and Juliet is their ultimate sacrifice to be united in death. In the play, Romeo visits Juliet’s grave in order to bid her farewell and to join her in death by drinking poison. Simultaneously, Juliet awakens from her supposed “death” just as Romeo consumes the poison. Juliet exclaims, “O comfortable Friar, Where is my lord? I do remember well here I am suppose to be, and there I am. Where is Romeo?” (Shakespeare page 114). However, this scene has a slight variation in the movie, which significantly impacts the ending. While Romeo drinks the poison, Juliet wakes up and remains in the coffin. She gazes into his eyes as he stares back, gradually losing his breath and becoming unable to breathe. This alteration adds a dramatic effect to the movie ending because it implies that if Juliet had awakened a mere 2 seconds earlier or if Romeo had delayed drinking the poison by 2 seconds longer, they could have been together.
Both the movie and play have their own strengths, making it difficult to choose which is better. There are moments that are equally impactful, such as when Romeo and Juliet first meet or the intense confrontation between the new family and loyal friends. However, there are also unique elements that make each version stand out. In the play, Romeo’s discovery of the party adds depth, while in the movie, a mere 2 seconds could alter the fate of the secretly married couple. Ultimately, both the play and movie have their merits, resulting in a balanced portrayal.
