The surprising dangers of young love were eloquently captured in the story of Romeo and Juliet. Franco Zefferelli and Baz Luhrmann are the authors of the two most famous film adaptations of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Zefferelli, the more traditional director, created his Oscar-winning version in 1968. Baz Luhrmann put an abstract, modern twist on Shakespeare's classic and created the 1996 version that raked in millions of dollars at the box office. Since these two films are so different, I chose to compare them to each other, using the famous balcony scene as the focus. In Franco Zefferelli's adaptation, before the Capulets' extravagant party, Romeo walks along a dark stone path alone with his very rowdy friends following closely behind him. They seem drunk and unruly, so Romeo seeks refuge from them by climbing rocks in a nearby forest. He pauses in the darkness to listen to his confidants joke about what a wonderful lover Romeo is, and smiles in amusement at the content of their emotion. Advancing deeper into the foliage, Romeo sees the light filtering through Juliet's window and continues towards it curiously. He walks slowly in the darkness until he clearly sees the illuminated palace where Juliet resides, finding his love leaning against the balcony wall. Juliet wears a white dress which makes her appear very angelic and virginal. Her hair is soft, her eyes shine and her innocence is undeniable. Romeo moves slowly and silently through the bushes trying to get a better look at her, and, doubting her presence there at that moment, he stops and rests his head against a tree, trying to remain anonymous. Juliet rests her cheek on her hand as the moon shines on her young face amidst a sheet of paper, but I'm sure few have seen both of these phenomenal films. Every director, in their own right, is a creative genius. They pushed themselves to create the best interpretation of Romeo and Juliet they knew, not knowing what Shakespeare's true directorial intentions were. Whether life is viewed from a traditional point of view or a contemporary point of view, Shakespeare will always remain Shakespeare: a creative genius in the true sense of the word. If Shakespeare himself had the opportunity to see performances of his play by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zefferelli, I think he would be proud. Works Cited Herndon, L. (1997). 1968 Romeo and Juliet [internet] Location: http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/9521/rj1968.htmlLuhrmann, B. (1996). Romeo+Juliet by William Shakespeare [Film] Zefferelli, F. (1968). Romeo and Juliet [Film]