This film is whacked. I saw it years ago when it came out in theaters, and loved it then too. MTV Shakespeare, Baz Luhrmann style.

Initially, it is a big bit to swallow, even if you know it in advance. As the first several scenes hit the senses, it instinctively all seems massively and profoundly out of place. Television newscasters (narrators) talking in iambic pentameter? Gangs of modern, big city teenagers shouting at each other with words like "thee" and "thou"? What to make of it? Disbelief.

But once you are absorbed, it becomes apparent that Shakespeare's original language is what really makes the movie. So powerful and concise are the words, that it stops mattering whether we believe real people would ever use them in everyday conversation. Every sentence, in context, is loaded with different shades of meaning, all applicable to the narrative. Part way through, in an effort to increase my comprehension, I turned on the subtitles, thus doubling the paths of language input with both audio and reading. A worthwhile way to watch the movie.

In a way, the story works so well because all notions of remotely adhering to realism have been checked at the door. This allows the mind freedom to follow the tragic tale all the way to its bittersweet conclusion. You don't suspend disbelief. You accept the outlandishness, in all its glory.

The soundtrack is laced both with contemporary (appropriate) pop music, and traditional orchestrated film score. (Plus a couple of totally unique church chior renditions of 80s hits. No, Baz Lurhmann has not directed anything involving rearranged versions of well-known music since then. Haha.)

Acting is an interesting category to judge with a film like this. How do you deliver a performance an audience will buy into, while still faithfully uttering all those mouthfuls of lines? There were a few places where deliveries felt forced. On the whole, I'd say the cast did a very good job though. Especially DiCaprio.

Now I'm finding myself getting drawn in with the behind the scenes stuff. Definitely high energy on the filming location. Baz is hyped, loud, and flamboyant. Just like his movies. I think I'm gonna have to see Strictly Ballroom sometime in the not too far future. Dig the Shakespeare though. Peace.