Baz Luhrmann looking back on Romeo + Juliet (1996)

The Australian director Baz Luhrmann created blockbusters like Moulin Rouge (2001) and The Great Gatsby (2013). Before that he had his international breakthrough with the flamboyant updated Shakespeare play Romeo + Juliet (1996). We visited Mr. Luhrmann and spoke with him about this incredible film starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
The VPRO Cinema Collection feature renowned directors talking about their breakthrough film. We spoke with the following directors about these films:
Baz Luhrmann: Romeo + Juliet (USA, 1996)
Jacques Audiard: Un prophète (France-Italy, 2009)
Lukas Moodysson: Together (Sweden, 2000)
Jim Sheridan: In the Name of the Father (Ireland, 1993)
Thomas Vinterberg: Festen (Denmark, 1998)
Marc Forster: Monster’s Ball (USA, 2001)
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[@PeterSodhi]

This was an incredible production. The Mercutio actor killed it and really transformed this film.

[@creakimoi2958]

Harold Perrineau is a phenomenal actor. He also starred in many controversial shows on HBO and his breadth of expression is almost shocking....it's clear this is a person with a great deal of compassion and experience and it's a shame he never quite made it to the a-list

[@lookhowshegobbledthat]

I agree. Harold Perrineau was definitely a highlight tbh.

[@didiersobas4480]

This movie changed my life in some ways. it has had a real impact in my approach of creativity. blessed to have seen that. The music, the places and that atmosphere... all was in a line and connected.

[@zoep4755]

I completely agree. It was one of the first films that made me want to work in the industry. I had never seen anything like it. Truly wonderful ♥️

[@eileenpizarro8905]

Still my favorite movie.

[@Super_Mario128]

+Eileen Pizarro he could do Hamlet or Macbeth this way and they would be this good.

[@hay_bail1]

Ikr!!! It is so strange that a play I have read three times, acted out once, seen on stage as a ballet twice and a play, and finally seen the 1960 (older adaption), this movie is one of my favorites. That must prove to be a testament to how the language never gets old and that Baz knows how to mix the old and the new to bring a living breath to the movie - or something lol.

[@ktwashere5637]

Its interesting that his priority was finding someone who could play Romeo, like finding Juliet was a secondary consideration.

[@titaniclover9396]

Well you have to remember, casting the two leading roles in a film based on one of the most well known stories ever told, which has been portrayed generation after generation, you need to be careful. He can’t just be like ok yeah you two look good, you’re hired! He wanted to choose Romeo very carefully, and then choose someone who would best fit juliet. I personally think he did an excellent job! Leo just has something about him that every director wanted, clearly even at that young age where he wasn’t very well known yet, like Baz said. Directors have gifts. They know that they want, and they’re not gonna stop till they get it. I admire that, because half the reasons for films success are the casting choices. Just like James Cameron wanted Leo for Jack Dawson. He wasn’t about to have anyone else. Lol 😉👌🏼

[@hay_bail1]

This is totally my personal opinion, but I think because Juliet has so many “speeches” and says such wise words, as long as you have an actress to deliver those lines in an amazing way, the Juliet is great. But Romeo can so easily come across as a crazy stalker that I think that the Romeo is more sink or swim with casting.

[@Lexman509]

William Shakespeare is somewhere thinking about all the money he's missing out on because they are still using his material.

[@night-seeker666]

But he helped make those movies.

[@J.M.Stigner]

No he's not.

[@JPatelLive]

Nah, he up there partying with Lennon 2pac and Beethoven lol ing at your comment lol! 😉 🐒 🙏🏾 ☺ ❤️ 👏🏾#gamerecognizegame

[@hay_bail1]

Is there like a Shakespeare foundation or something to collect royalties?

[@Fireglo]

@@hay_bail1 all works of fiction are public domain after 100 years.

[@night-seeker666]

I'd love to see him do a movie on a 2010s/2020s Macbeth.

[@allisgrace1313]

just wanted this movie for the first time in over 20 years.... I honestly was surprised to re-watch it as I figured it could no way could it hold up to the love I had for it watching it in '96. To my delight it has held up SO well! I love it more know than I did watching it as a teen! I would love to see him do more Shakespeare (an ancestor of mine on his mothers side) in the same manner!

[@tickedoffnow]

I wish I could've seen it in theaters when it came out

[@steviesindahouse4903]

I just saw it at a film festival in a beautiful restored historic theatre .. yesterday in fact (why I'm here watching this, and lots of other Baz related videos .. thanks for uploading them everybody!) .. magic .. it will happen again, I mean a screening in a theatre .. somewhere, sometime .. and when it does I do hope it's somewhere near you .. the girl sitting next to me yesterday afternoon in the cinema was dressed like Claire Danes' Juliet, complete with circular braid in her hair .. Wow !!! Such a great night watching a film I really can't put into words how much I love .. oh, joy remembered, I know it's not Romeo + Juliet, but Moulin Rouge is starting its stage run as I write .. follow Baz on Twitter for all the news .. twitter.com/bazluhrmann?lang=en .. :-))))))) ...

[@ktwashere5637]

if it ever plays in a festival or something then for god's sake go - it is incredible on the big screen. the opening section especially throws you back in your seat and the use of sound can only be appreciated in a surround sound theatre.

[@hay_bail1]

I can’t imagine watching the fish tank scene and then hearing all of those strings play in the elevator! And all the drama!!!! Must have been a magical night to see this premier. The audience had probably never seen anything like it! The swoon!! 🤩

[@AiShItErUKaKaShI]

I saw it in theater! It was great! I fell in love with Leonardo Dicaprio in this very movie. It was ages ago when I was a tween. I loved that he kept the Shakespearean language, but filmed it in a modern times. My ultimate favorite movie... ever. 😁

[@gemma-do9yr]

I did i went four times absolutely breathe taking

[@Joanna-vb3bx]

Thank you for this movie ! He has change my life and for ever !

[@VoidPlugger]

Jamie Kennedys impression of him is so spot on

[@Charlotte-eo2bn]

I love Baz, his favourite movie of mine is Strictly Ballroom but thats like saying my favourite chocolate is white chocolate cause I still love milk and dark chocolate too. Moulin Rouge, Australia, Romeo and Juliet and The Great Gatsby are beautiful and unique movies but something about Strictly Ballroom makes me feel like I could never get sick of watching it

[@clemiandrews1384]

my personal fav is moulin rouge, but yes! he has a way of making movies that make them so incredible you never get tired of them

[@trashleigh87]

Baz is a genius!

[@tickedoffnow]

2 of My Favorite all time movies were directed by this guy, Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge ❤❤

[@hansjavis5854]

I love this movie. It is so rewatchable and the performances are so memorable.. I have a best friend that didn’t give a shit about Shakespeare, but loves this movie cause I told him it was like Anime.

[@Lemmedoabackflip]

lmao

[@underbluemoonisawyou]

definitely one of my all time favourite movies!

[@ciao63097]

Young Natalie Portman as Juliet + young Leo as Romeo sounds like the best couple human kind could have ever heard of/ still this film is perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing about it

[@purplelove010]

She was 13

[@grsimpson3957]

@@purplelove010 Yes, that's how the the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet goes, if I remember correctly.

[@night-seeker666]

Ohhhh, his intent wasn't just a 90's reimagining, it was "what if Shakespeare were to make a 90's movie." Edit: No, younger me, the laws would still have to change to fit the 90's setting. I like the movie, but that's just something that bugs me.

[@jacob_swaggerz]

THE BOYS THE BOYS! one of the greatest adaptations ever made.

[@holdencawffle626]

Some friends have some boys....and everything I see them I say THE BOYS, THE BOYS!

[@tickedoffnow]

I think Mercutio cursed everyone in the end lol

[@ruolov1]

Still a masterpiece!

[@S-T-E-V-E]

I've loved this movie since it came out, the soundtrack and the score are both amazing albums!

[@briantep458]

i was not prepared for 0:27

[@deckofcards87]

I'm no Luhrmann fan, but I loved Romeo + Juliet.

[@andreabergin4995]

Baz are you serious? Saying Leo was an unknown actor? He got Oscar nominated for Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, not to mention his stellar performance in Basketball Diaries a year earlier

[@TheTruthKiwi]

Just finished watching this masterpiece again and it has held up over time. I was 17 when it came out in the late 90's and it was another one of many films and songs that cemented the (late) 90's as being "cool", for me anyway. I've often found it funny how in the 80's most of the 70's music and fashion wasn't cool anymore and in the 90's most of the 80's stuff wasn't cool. Of course there's some music and fashion that transcends all the decades and still remains cool but I'm talking about general pop culture. Anyway, here we are in 2022 and the general pop culture from the late 90's still seems to be pretty cool. There hasn't been a huge change in fashion like there was between the 70's, 80's and 90's as it's stayed pretty the same for 25 years. It's like we reached a peak, or rather, nobody has discovered anything cooler. Just something I was thinking about after watching this again. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe kids these days hate this movie and Radiohead, but somehow I don't think so. Thanks for the cool movie and helping define a few generations Baz

[@user-jc5lf6sf7g]

2:06 "a totally unknown actor" = an actor on one of the biggest TV shows at the time, an actor who was in a film playing opposite Robert Deniro and another playing opposite Johnny Depp. Not to mention The Basketball Diaries and Sam Raimi's The Quick and The Dead. Apparently Baz in real life is as over-the-top as his films.

[@amydomenica11]

Does anyone know what Baz said regarding the earlier trailer he cut to pitch the film - a mket or macket? ive never heard this word and cant work out what he says.

[@Nalijay]

Hmm, looking back I realise now I was more obsessed with Claire Danes than Leo, but still didn't click that that was gay. Lol

[@abrahamheg1734]

😴

[@wandrfire]

Incredible movie

[@Fallen5321]

Is this the same bloke who done the sunscreen song?

[@anthonyourbrother]

Artist.

[@gemma-do9yr]

Damn he didn't even remember Claire Danes name??? Thats insulting

[@matinatheartofrolling4606]

Of course he remembered her name he just forgot to say it out loud

[@toms8594]

Does anyone know what accessory Baz is wearing on his arm?

[@brandonm1708]

A sleeve

[@cathjh7570]

Omg is baz wearing the ring that gatsby was wearing??!

[@icm3523]

Yes.

[@MIMI232]

I don't know why I imagined him as being fat! LOL!!!! This is still one of my fave movies, especially the gas station scene!

[@Lnblackberry48]

Mich I imagined him having curly hair

[@allenjames4808]

Do you bite your thumb at me, ... ...sir?

[@night-seeker666]

@@allenjames4808 No, I bite my thumb at Daniel Keem.

[@U2R4WHAT]

It's all between the ears. Not the years.

[@lizetcobain3352]

subtítulos en español plis

[@christopheraparicio4482]

Imagine if Natalie Portman had played Juliet. I liked Claire Danes but Natalie would have knocked it out of the ballpark.

[@jameshilton8898]

She was 13 at the time though

[@deckofcards87]

Agreed but i don't think Leo and Natalie have any chemistry.

[@Alleycat-kk5it]

Samuel jeriko .B yea Leo was 20 and the sex scene they have I don't think little Natalie could of done it

[@DiamondXena]

lol thats funny cos leo and danes didnt get along off screen xD

[@melindanelson5403]

I love Baz’s Romeo & Juliet, and always love Leo. I just was never a fan of Claire lol don’t dislike her or anything. But I found her quite plain and blah in most of her work. And when it was time to inject feeling into a scene, she was far too theatrical, over the top even. And that’s not what good acting entails. So if Natalie weren’t super young at the time, I’d def agree! Lol

[@__RYN__]

3:40 See and I would agree with Baz but through it all he needs to have drive which Brad Pitt, George Clooney, do have

[@tnguyen7481]

I swear I watch this movie from time to time as I get older I’m getting wise and have a stronger understanding of the meaning of life power and respect with love interwoven on multiple levels... from their parents side before they had Romeo and Juliet. The two house hold name that matters only in society all else isn’t shit... I call this law and order. Here is an example two people died out in public. And nothing happens to Romeo. He just need to go somewhere far enough to cool down. If any of Juliet side of the family wants to take revenge they now know why everyone is so afraid to fuck with these two family’s. Romeo has the right to kill anyone he knows is a his family blood enemy it’s called self protection. He sees them before they see him. Romeo and Juliet needs to know why they are so special because their parents are notorious. Romeo turn 18 and Juliet is getting married. Romeo needs to be fearless. But Juliet is more gangster than Romeo with love in her heart she drink poison at the drop of a hat. And then if Romeo wasn’t awake she didn’t care she took a “para ordnance... Romeo gun... Romeo has two rare guns “dagger” and “para ordnance”. I honestly hate guns everything they stand for. I prefer using a knife I feel 100% in control. But I swear when I now look at the movie again last week I had to do my research on these guns... they are what I call spiritual guns I kid you the fuck not. Whoever died they had too and your soul will be freed from sin... I’ve never seen anything like this type of guns that it’s been blessed and if you had too then you had too no guilt. Romeo friends carry this shit around and Juliet cousin carry this around too. If you see Romeo and Juliet cousin collide get the fuck out of their way they have to right to kill. And no one goes to jail. Law and order. I’ll leave this as a kicker both dads are playing chess. Juliet is the queen Romeo is anything he wants to be but this is my Shakespeare line. From a pawn to a bishop and then to a knight the only left is the castle the balcony scene. Romeo did the impossible he became the king the only king that can be next to the queen without dying... but he did and so did the queen. The opposite king can never be next to the queen on the other side it’s called sudicide... with any fucken piece on the board it’s checkmate. So he died as a person his family swore to hate until their dying day. I love this movie... I hated reading about Shakespeare never understood it until now... and the more I think about it the deeper it gets... star cross lovers... I don’t know what to say Claire Diane and Leo age time and chemistry only comes in once and a lifetime well I guess they are both consider star actors and actresses but to be cross lover it’s once in a lifetime and now I get it William Shakespeare will always have just one line that kills. That to me is star cross lovers. It’s beautiful. Romeo and Juliet is definitely will always be Claire Diane and Leo...

[@tnguyen7481]

🔥💤💤💤

[@cc2016]

If I was natalie i would have take that role

[@TaylorKnightCosplay]

I prefer Moulin Rouge and Gatsby

[@deckofcards87]

Faark no.

[@cathjh7570]

Pls theres no need to compare

[@k.t.5405]

Baz's best... better than Moulin.

[@rexellate]

0:28 wtf

[@kb332000]

How are they able to get away with showing muff in this video on KZbin? I mean I got assaulted visually by the hairiest beavers I've ever seen.

[@harveysengers1379]

Because it was on Dutch tv.❤ We as adults don't freak out as much about human bodies as Americans do for instance. We have that more with normalizing guns. 😂

[@powertheimmortalorisaac2195]

after reading “concrete” (a graphic novel of a superhero working with a movie production crew) I find it hard to believe that even the greatest movies were able to make it and to think that the absolute trainwreck that was Romeo + Juliet (1996) was able to get through and even more so that it didnt damage everyone’s careers.

[@hectorsanaifric343]

"Trainwreck" right..........

[@amberluckes]

Love u big fan

[@amberluckes]

Sure