Comparing Luhrmann s Romeo And Juliet
First of all, where does carnivalesque come from? This concept was coined by Mikhail Bakhtin who
said it embodied life taking from of a typical carnival. The way things are obscured, or not how they
typically would be, essentially life turned inside out is the idea of carnivalism. Without carnival, life
remains as usual and therefore it is impossible to point out the obscure nature of what is natural life
(Johae, Bakhtinian Carnivalesque 304). Luhrmann had used many carnival elements to represent
Romeo and Juliet in his film version, offering a counterproposition where, in the inebriation of
festivity, societal roles are inverted and where masks and disguises, as the words indicate, hide
identities, including sexual identities, rather than exposing them (Johae, Bakhtinian Carnivalesque
307). By using this, Luhrmann created a new perspective on the love of Romeo and Juliet, calling into
question the validity of their love, or even the carnival brought about through their meeting.
Carnivalism is effective for Romeo and Juliet because it allows for further analysis to take place of
meaning and emotion in situations, [provoking] an active response, leading us to make certain
connections perhaps hitherto unexplored... creating a highly energetic, primarily ... Show more content
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What this means is that individuals are changed from what is typical of them as is expected by society
(Hennelly, 103) which happens repeatedly at the party scene in the film. Juliet s angel appearance at
the party shows contrast to her daily life, where she is unable to enjoy any such freedom... Similarly,
Romeo, who up to this point shows himself as a sort of delinquent by taking drugs, as well as taking
part in the jokes and behaviors associated with the Montagues, is given the opportunity to take on an
ideal role as a courtly knight (Johae, Bakhtinian Carnivalesque
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