Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet brought Shakespeare to a new generation of teens
Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film Romeo + Juliet turns 30, remembered for making Shakespeare feel immediate to teenage audiences. By transplanting the tragedy into a vivid 1990s gangland setting while retaining its Elizabethan verse, the film became a popular classroom route into Shakespeare for students who might otherwise find the language difficult.
The film cast Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the young lovers and drew on locations in Mexico, frenetic editing and a soundtrack featuring artists including Radiohead and The Cardigans. Though some critics called it vulgar and garish, it earned more than $147 million against a $14.5 million budget and helped make its leads teen idols.
In short
- Luhrmann’s film brought Shakespeare to a new generation.
- It earned over $147 million on a $14.5 million budget.
- DiCaprio and Danes became icons for teenage audiences.
Explained simply
William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet more than 400 years ago. It tells of two teenagers from rival families who fall in love, with the feud around them leading to tragedy.
In 1996, Australian director Baz Luhrmann set the story in a modern American city, keeping Shakespeare’s original verse while using contemporary clothes, music and fast-paced film-making. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes played Romeo and Juliet.
The film offered a route into Shakespeare for students who might find the language unfamiliar. Its mix of old dialogue and modern setting also prompted debate over how freely a classic play can be reimagined.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Romeo + Juliet at 30: how Baz Luhrmann made teens fall in love with Shakespeare”.