William Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet” was by far the world's best-known classic piece of romantic literature, a powerful tragedy. Over decades it has been adapted into films by filmmakers from all sorts of linguistic backgrounds. Among these, two are certainly the most famous and successful adaptations: the classic version, much appreciated, by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968, and the modern version directed by Baz Luhrmann in 1996, although controversial, represented the purest and most unstoppable love in a turbulent society using creative and jazzy elements that have been stylishly edited in a modern way. Both the 1968 and 1996 films clarified the setting right at the beginning of the film: 13th century (the medieval period) in Italy for the 1968 version, and modern but problematic society full of people at Verona Beach in California in 1996 version. The scenes were set on the beach or in the Capulet's grand villa, which creates a great contrast to the classic and old-fashioned cobblestone castles of the medieval centuries. The 1996 film, being a modern adaptation, begins with the news reporting the fire that broke out in the gas station caused by the gunfight between Romeo and Juliet's cousins, which gives the audience a sense of danger, frenetic pace and risk as well as gaining some insight into the hostile relationship between Romeo and Juliet's families. The 1968 version opens the curtain and gives the public a panoramic view of the Italian landscape. As the camera pans, the narrator reads the famous prologue to Shakespeare's original play, indicating that the film's plot will closely follow the classic work. The props and clothing used in the two films are what puts them in great contrast, mainly because of the different... halves of the paper... scenes. The 1968 version uses soothing and majestic music to give the viewer a sense of the time and the ways that were employed then; while the music in the 1996 version was all in western style. The song "What is a youth?" was carefully chosen and had a prescient effect on the future of the star-crossed lovers. Behind the conversations between Romeo and Juliet, slow and pleasant music can be heard which helped create the atmosphere. In conclusion, between two films, each of them has its own merits, since one cannot judge which is better or more successful in interpreting the masterpiece: the 1968 version was great and classic, the plot and setting follow closely the original play written by Shakespeare, while the 1996 version is fashionably creative and focused on the meticulous emotional details of the characters and original in its edited cinematography.