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Romeo + Juliet at The Revival House PerthIn the futuristic "Verona Beach," two corporate empires—the Montagues and Capulets—wage a violent feud using guns branded with names like "Sword 9mm" and "Dagger." Into this neon-soaked gang warfare stumbles Romeo Montague (Leonardo DiCaprio), a lovesick romantic who crashes a lavish Capulet costume ball and locks eyes with Juliet (Claire Danes) across a tropical fish aquarium. Their instant connection defies their families' blood hatred, and they marry in secret with the help of Father Laurence (Pete Postlethwaite). But in a world where ancient grudges play out with automatic weapons and the Prince of Verona Beach arrives by helicopter, their forbidden love cannot escape tragedy. When Romeo's best friend Mercutio (Harold Perrineau) is killed by Juliet's volatile cousin Tybalt (John Leguizamo), Romeo's act of revenge sets in motion the devastating chain of events that will test whether love can survive in a world consumed by violence.
Director Baz Luhrmann explodes Shakespeare's text into a hyperkinetic visual assault, setting the Bard's language against MTV-style editing, Mexican beach culture, and a pop-rock soundtrack. The 1996 film's audacious concept—speaking Shakespeare's words verbatim while updating everything else to postmodern excess—shouldn't work but does magnificently. DiCaprio and Danes make the poetry feel natural rather than antiquated, their chemistry burning through the stylistic excess. Luhrmann's maximalist direction—whip pans, crash zooms, religious iconography, and expressionistic color—creates a fever dream where emotions match the visual intensity. Donald McAlpine's cinematography and Catherine Martin's production design create an intoxicating world of Catholic kitsch and gang violence. Perrineau's drag-wearing Mercutio steals scenes, while the film's tragic climax regains genuine pathos amid the chaos. The soundtrack—Radiohead, Garbage, Des'ree—became iconic.
Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.
When: Saturday, May 9th at 4:45PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (Low level violence, Adult themes)
Luhrmann's audacious Shakespeare explosion mixes the Bard with MTV aesthetics and makes poetry passionate again—experience it in 35mm film.
Presented by: The Revival House Perth
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Event Venue
16 Preston Street Como, 6152, 16 Preston St, Como WA 6152, Australia, Perth
Tickets
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