Some types of art never go out of style. Take Shakespeare for instance. It has been some 400 years since his plays have been performed at the Globe Theater in London, and many are still loved and revered. Back in 1996, Baz Luhrmann took his own stab at a Shakespeare classic, and a pop culture icon was born.
Set in modern day Verona Beach, California but keeping the Elizabethan English, Romeo + Juliet introduced the story of the star-crossed lovers to a whole new generation. In the process , it made stars out of Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes, and gave us one of the best film soundtracks of its time.
Much of the soundtrack was a who’s who of late 90s alternative rock, featuring bands like Radiohead, Everclear and Garbage, which helped to define the sounds of the decade. I distinctly remember sitting in my high school English class watching this movie, and I remember thinking about how cool it was to be hearing Radiohead while I was at school.
One of the highlights of the film, though, was the scene at the party where Romeo and Juliet meet with the hauntingly raw and emotional Des’ree song “Kissing You” playing in the background. This is a song that I could only imagine has made its way on to numerous mixtapes, made for romantic, intimate moments.
So, as Shakespeare has withstood the test of time, so will the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack. Enjoy highlights below!
