That brings us to the current update of Romeo and Juliet (officially titled William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, just in case you didn't know), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title roles. For those had to watch the 1968 Zeffirelli version in high school (complete with the teacher fast-forwarding through the naked parts), this R&J is a completely different animal. Updated to modern Miami Beach, this one has all the pop and zip one would expect from a tale of family feud, star-crossed lovers and bloodthirsty vengeance. Lots of music, fast cuts and super-artsy sets and costumes make it the lively adventure it was meant to be. Call it Natural Born Killers meets Stratford-Upon-Avon, a kind of Shakespeare MTV.

Purists may balk, but the film uses its modern setting to its full potential and should be required viewing for any director who looks to put a modern spin on the 400-year- old play. Capulet and Montague become warring mafia heads, the Prince of Verona is a police chief trying to quell the violence, and television anchors represent Shakespeare's traditional chorus. Other, more subtle narrative devices work equally as well. No modern audience could mistake the meaning of the UPS-type guy who unsuccessfully tries to deliver letters to Romeo, nor misunderstand the significance of the "attempted delivery" post-it that falls off the door, never to be found. This isn't just an update; director Baz Luhrmann has created a savvy exploitation of the film medium that invaluably helps the audience along with Shakespeare's archaic language.

The actors comport themselves well, especially Pete Postlethwaite as the herbalist priest and Paul Sorvino as the volatile Capulet. Leonardo DiCaprio is a surprisingly effective Romeo, alternatingly tender and irate as the scenes call for. Claire Danes sometimes sounds like a high school student reading aloud for the teacher, but her expression and beauty almost make up for it. John Leguizamo as Tybalt and Harold Perrineau as Mercutio shine among the younger cast members, and Perrineau especially proves his merit with a truly amazing rendition of the famous "Queen Mab" speech.

If the movie fails in any respect, it's in the attention it gives to Shakespeare's words. Music sometimes obscures the actors' speech, and the lengthy text has been cut to an almost obscene two hours. (Most stage productions of Romeo and Juliet last somewhere between three and four hours.) Shakespeare movies practically always have to undergo cuts to the text, because modern audiences are too used to two-hour feature films. But in this version of Romeo and Juliet, these aren't just cuts. This is a vivisection. The word in the movie industry is that Kenneth Branagh is being heavily pressured to make cuts to his complete version of Hamlet for increased public palatability. After seeing this, I say, hang tough, Ken.

Nevertheless, it's hard to criticize Romeo and Juliet too much. With its sheer excitement and visual charge, there's no doubt it will get a whole new group of people excited about Shakespeare, who was a indeed a fabulous storyteller despite the fact that he's rammed down every school kid's throat. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a must-see for bard lovers, cinephiles and just about everyone else.