Annotated Bibliography Example

[Example of a Research Topic]

My research topic is on how Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been adapted into film, with a particular focus on Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Baz Luhrmann’s William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996). In the first half of the paper, I intend to look at similarities and differences between the original play and its film adaptations. For example, I will examine which scenes were added to or removed from the films, or the time and place in which the play is set (Zeffirelli's film is done as a period piece in Mantua (Italy), Luhrmann's film is set in contemporary Mexico). I hope by analyzing these kinds of script alterations, I can understand the directors' interpretations of theme and character in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The second part of my paper will focus on the reception of the two films. Zeffirelli's film was initially much more positively received than Luhrmann's version, both by the general public and by Shakespeare scholars, and I will look for sources that can help me understand why these film adaptations were received so differently.

[Example of an Annotated Source]

Books

Lehmann, Courtney. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: The Relationship between Text and Film. London: Methuen Drama, 2010. Print.

1. The author, Courtney Lehmann, Director of the Humanities Center and Tully Knoles Professor of Humanities at the University of the Pacific, discusses the literary context of Romeo and Juliet, the history of theatrical performances of Romeo and Juliet, and the issues involved in adapting Shakespeare’s plays into film. She also gives analyses of adaptations of Romeo and Juliet on screen, such as Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, and West Side Story. She discusses the critical responses that these adaptions have received during their premieres and the years that have followed since their release.
2. The analysis and critical responses of Romeo and Juliet film adaptations relates to my topic. Also, the history of literary contexts of Romeo and Juliet is also helpful in understanding the development of the play.