Modernized into the new society, "Romeo + Juliet" is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic play, directed by Baz Luhrmann and released in 1996. Set in an updated hip-modern suburb of fair Verona Beach, the film maintains Shakespeare's original dialogue while integrating features of modern culture, such as guns, cars, and pop music. Luhrmann's remake of the play offers a fascinating exploration of the linkage between Shakespeare and the play's society and the contemporary world of the late 20th century. With that, sociological criticism is particularly the most suitable approach for analyzing Baz Luhrmann's 1996 adaptation due to its focus on evaluating the film within its cultural, economic, and political context. Before we dive into this criticism, let us first discuss how the society and culture in this modernized version of Romeo and Juliet works. Similar to the old account, the Montague and Capulet families are depicted as powerful corporate entities, with their rivalry reflecting the cutthroat competition and ambition prevalent in capitalist societies. The hatred between these political clans produced a culture of violence and discord. Therefore, a significant relationship between the two lineages can be considered a mortal sin. From this statement, I can see that the position held by their families in their society molded the character's lives. Their culture made it difficult for Romeo and Juliet to pursue their love openly. Furthermore, it also pushed them to conduct a secret marriage, and subsequent …show more content…
I think there is a social expectation for the clan members to honor their name and despise the other lineage. For example, we had Tybalt consistently fighting Romeo despite orders from the Prince due to his honor for his surname. Likewise, we had Romeo avenging his friend Mercutio's death as a form of hostility to the other