Baz Luhrmann’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet is on. [Dig that vintage website. Can you imagine anyone–besides me–putting so much text on a film site?] It’s been a while since I’ve seen it; remembering how good it is. It was from more innocent days, just before Leonardo DiCaprio became Leo. It has a gang of excellent performances: John Leguizamo, Harold Perrineau, Paul Sorvino, Diane Venora, Paul Rudd, Dash Mihok, Miriam Margolyes… but it’s Luhrmann’s ecstatic vision that conquers all. One thing I didn’t anticipate, though: the degree to which audience perceptions and expectations can change over time. Romeo + Juliet‘s like freakin’ Ozu compared to Moulin Rouge.
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the making of, by greg allen