How Baz Luhrmann’s ultra-stylised Romeo + Juliet film made Shakespeare cool 30 years ago

William Shakespeare’s star-crossed romance Romeo and Juliet has been adapted for the screen innumerable times, perhaps most famously by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968. While every version reflects the era of its creation, none speaks quite as loudly as Baz Luhrmann’s ultra-stylised, fiercely 1990s take, which turns 30 this month. The second – and best – of Luhrmann’s much-loved “Red Curtain” trilogy, which includes 1992’s Strictly Ballroom and 2001’s Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet (1996) is blessed...