Formal Film Study: Baz Luhrmann

Baz Lurhmann has a unqiue style to his movies. His movies have a lot of props and are also very busy. People usually really like Lurhmann or they do not like him. In the article "'Great Gatsby' Reviewers Divided: Is Baz Luhrmann a Good Director?"by Kevin Fallon he said, " The films are stylish. They're over the top. They're bazzy. ' When it comes to Baz Luhrmann and his style, it's hard not to have such a hard opinion.' says Scott Meslow, entertainment editor at The Week." Luhrmann's work is very over the top and modern, and people will either appreciate it or not like it at all. I for example love Baz luhrmann and his work, but my dad does not. He thinks that they are too busy. Luhrmann gives a very modern feel to his movies. Even if a movie is set in the 60s he will still put music in it that is modern and hasn't even come out until 2013. He goes over board on props and costumes, but in my opinion it makes it more entertaining and he is known for it.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) stays true to the original Romeo and Juliet script, but Baz Luhrmann puts his own spin on it. He sets it in modern time and he changes some parts of the original to make it more contemporary. For example in the original ending Juliet kills herself with a dagger. In Luhrmann's ending she kills herself with a gun. Also the sword fight between Romeo and Tibolt is with guns in luhrmann's version as well. He chose that to fit in with the more modern feel to it. Also in the movie Romeo(Leonardo DiCaprio) takes ecstasy before he goes to the Capulet party. Romeo definitely did not take any drugs in the original, but in Luhrmanns's version he did because he was putting his own style into it. The Capulate party is very busy with crazy costumes, dancing and music. His style is very unique and crazy when it comes to party scenes in his movies.

Moulin Rouge (2001) is another Baz Luhrmann that goes over the top and is very unique. This movie is one of my favorite movies of all time. In the "'Great Gatsby' Reviewers Divided: Is Baz Luhrmann a Good Director?"by Kevin Fallon he said, "Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor belting a medley of love songs by Paul McCartney and Whitney Houston while standing atop an elephant structure in turn-of-the-century Paris while CGI fireworks boom over their heads." This movie is set in 1899-1900 and it plays songs from the 20th century. Satine's( Nicole Kidman) costumes in this movie are very dazzling and the shows at the Moulin Rouge are very busy. In a review of Moulin Rouge Todd McCarthy said, Like everything else in the picture, the Moulin Rouge here is a reinterpretation of the real thing designed with an eye to giving it contemporary relevance; the men might be dressed in black tie and top hat, but the music slips breathlessly from “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” to “Material Girl” as Satine descends spectacularly from the ceiling via trapeze and picks Christian out of the crowd to dance." One of my friends was actually confused watching Moulin Rouge because she didn't understand why some of the songs were in there because they were not made yet during the year in the movie. That is just how Luhrmann's style is when it comes to songs in his movies. 

The Great Gatsby(2013) is Luhrmann's most recent movie and still obtains his style of being unique and dazzling. The props, costumes, and parties are over the top. This movie even won an oscar for its costume design. Historians say that the costumes are not authentic to the time period, but Luhrmann knew that. He just wanted to make them more modern. As for the parties they are extravagant and outrageously  over the top, but in a good way in my opinion. The movie is set in the 1920s and it has modern music in it. During one scene while they were driving to the city they pass a car with people dancing in it and they're listening to Jay-Z. Luhrmann added music from today and brought into the 1920s because it is a part of his style. He adds modern music into movies. He  does it to movies that were set before the songs even came out. 
                     Baz Luhrmann in my opinion si a very good director that creates an over the top movie. His style is very modern. He makes modern costumes and puts in modern music in his movies. His style is very unique and is either liked or hated. I however love his unique styles and appreciate how different his movies are from other directors.