Archive of Our Own

Notes:

• For ryfkah.

Please be aware, the vid contains scenes of violence, including gun fights, armed police and suicides. Also some flashing lights (fireworks, lightning strikes etc) and implied drug use.

Music by UNKLE, Eye for an Eye, lyrics can be found here: http://lyrics.doheth.co.uk/songs/unkle//never-never-land/eye-4-an-eye.php

...

Some thematic notes on the vid for Shakespeare aficionados:

There's so much to say about any Shakespeare work, and I love Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of R + J! I'm always struck by the strong aesthetic theme of all the Catholic imagery, which is both beautiful and vaguely threatening throughout the film.

I think Luhrmann is trying to use the religious iconography here to capture Shakespeare's idea that the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are some kind of sacrificial atonement for their families' violent vendetta - that behind the events of the play is some divinely inspired and realised plan: to use their 'love' (I mean it's more kind of teenage infatuation and lust!) as a vehicle for ending the civil war between the Montagues and Capulets. Where the sacrifice of R + J somehow cleanses the anger and violence of their warring families and restores peace to Verona.

There's three short quotes from the Shakespeare's text I think that underline this idea, and were the framing for this vid and choice of music.

First is a quote from the supposedly wise priest, who agrees to help Romeo marry Juliet.

Friar Lawrence (Act II, Scene III):
In one respect I'll thy assist be,
For this alliance may so happy prove,
To turn your household's rancour
to pure love.

Like, he's absolutely right. Their alliance does ultimately lead to brotherly love and compassion between the Montagues and Capulets. Just not at all in the way he expects. But as a priestly agent of the divine, his instincts are correct.

Throughout the play, there's lots of references to "the stars", "star cross'd lovers", "heaven", and Romeo actually calls Juliet a "winged messenger from heaven" on the starlit balcony scene - deepening the idea of fate or destiny guiding the unfolding events.

And then in the final scene, after Romeo and Juliet are found dead, and once Montague and Capulet shake hands and make peace (the end of this scene's dialogue is actually cut from Baz Luhrmann's film, so ending on a darker note):

Prince (Act V, Scene III):
See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,
That heaven finds means to kill your
joys with love.

Capulet then explicitly and mournfully refers to Romeo and Juliet as being:
"Poor sacrifices of our enmity!"

It's all quite an ominous idea, and undercuts the surface love and romance of the story with something much darker and more interesting. And it looks visually really cool throughout the entire film! I especially love the Marian iconography on Tybalt's guns - the use of those guns is what ultimately brings about the peaceful ending of the play!