Journal Reflection: Romeo and Juliet

1. What kind of research do you think the lead actors in the film had to do to prepare for their roles?

I believe that in order to prepare for this part the actors had to get a good back round of the character they were playing. In order to do so I think they would have to watch other versions of the Romeo and Juliet plays and movies, which would also help them figure out what the audience is looking for. Also, they might have acted out their parts while off stage in order to really understand how their character thinks and acts, like Heath Ledger did when he was playing the Joker in the “Dark Night.”

2. What were the most effective aspects of the setting/set design, use of music and costuming for the film?

I thought that the most effective aspects of the settings were from the angle, which the camera caught it in. Any setting can look a lot better or a lot worse depending on the view the camera films it from. I thought that the settings fit this movie for the updated version quite well because they had certain scenes, which were in front of a club, and I do not think that in the first version of Romeo and Juliet that they would be there.

I found the use of music good in every scene because it set the tone and helped you know the motion, which was being felt and the aura, which described weather the scene, was going to be sad or happy.

The costume in this film, to my personal opinion I thought felt the part to a degree. In the original play both sides of the family were very wealthy but judging by the clothes they were wearing you would not be able to tell that. You would have thought that they seemed a little more gang like, although you did know that Juliet’s side of the family had a great deal of money because of the size of her house.

3. How did the actors effectively use pantomime expressions and how did they alter their voices to fit their roles.

I noticed that Leonardo DiCaprio’s pantomime was very good in the scene which he had just killed Juliet’s cousin because when the camera zoomed in on his face he was very slow and had a lot of facial expression. It was very easy to tell what he was feeling. Another scene I thought he used a good job of pantomime was where he was getting in a fight against Juliet’s side of the family because of how he used his body to portray his actions to an excessive amount and his voice was very loud too.

4. Overall, do you think the film was a good adaptation of Shakespeare's original play?

I have not scene any other versions of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare but based on this version alone I Think that it was a very good adaptation. The characters were all in role at all times and it seemed easier to understand because of the back rounds and sets they used as well as the use of props. I thought it was a good movie.