Assignment 17 - Lia Jacobs

Usually, my winter breaks are filled with movie watching but this year we only saw the new Star Wars movie. Though I did enjoy the movie, if I'm being honest I can't remember most of the plot. So instead, I'll be talking about two Baz Luhrmann movies. I've seen both Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet countless times at this point, but I decided to rewatch them over the break. The two movies are wildly different but through all of the chaos emerges Luhrmann's unique style of directing. Upon first glance, the two movies simply seem odd. They have utterly different plots, and the only thing that seems to connect them is chaos. Both movies feature flashy costumes, over-the-top music/dance sequences, and modern music which is a mismatch from the time period of the movie. I guess the best word to describe these two movies is spunky. They certainly won't appeal to every viewer. but I find them just weird enough to be enjoyable. I should add, I've also recently watched The Great Gatsby (the one with Leonardo DiCaprio), and it aligns with Luhrmann's chaotic movies, but simultaneously seems much tamer.