Romeo and Juliet in the Style of Film Noir

New York City. The city of dreams and big possibilities. But not for everyone. Some people’s lives are filled with struggle and strife, horrible family feuds that drive them apart. Crime families controllilng more than meets the eye. Our story begins in a private detective’s office in 1953, featuring a dame with a past and a hero with no future.

Romeo Montague walked down the stairs and out of his office. He set the door sign to CLOSED and walked with his trench coat collar popped and his fedora tipped down so he could avert the gazes of the general public. His job as a private detective had been slowing down. Too many people had heard about his family and decided it was best not to trust him. He wanted to go home and drink, but it was his best friend’s roommate’s wedding. He entered the cathedral, leaving his coat and hat at the door, and sat near the back of the church. He noticed a woman in a red dress sitting across the aisle from him. Her black, wavy hair created a beautiful contrast to her bright dress and perfect complexion. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Giulietta Capulet, Juliet to her friends, was a spy for the Capulet Crime Family. Her family practically ran the city of New York and she found out all of the secrets for them. She tried to keep her appearance as generic as possible, but for her best friend’s wedding, she decided to dress up. She wore her favorite red dress but sat near the back of the cathedral so as not to capture anyone’s attention. As much as she loved her work, it made it hard to create meaningful connections with people. She noticed a man in a dark suit looking in her direction from across the aisle. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. Maybe it was the wedding music and the romantic decorations, but she thought he was the most handsome and intriguing man she had ever seen.

They locked eyes and shared a smile. Juliet walked over to the man and asked him how he knew the couple. After talking for a bit, Romeo invited her for a drink after the ceremony. She agreed and they walked to a nearby bar. After a couple of drinks, it was clear there was a connection. Neither of them knew why or how, but they could feel that they were meant to be together. They continued talking for hours as the sun began to set. She offered him a cigarette. They talked about love, life, and their troubles that stretched from Long Island to Yonkers. They were immediately enamored with one another. But, that was cut short after they introduced themselves.

“I’m terribly sorry, but, I never got your name,” Romeo said.

“Oh, it’s Giulietta, but… my friends call me Juliet.” She replied with a wink. He smiled.

“Romeo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Juliet paused for a moment, connecting the dots as to where she knew her handsome stranger from. She felt a pit form in her stomach. The Montague family was a smaller crime family, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. The Capulets and the Montagues had been feuding for decades.

“You’re Romeo Montague, aren’t you?” She asked, trying not to let him know that she was suspicious of him and his intentions, but it was written all over her face.

“In the flesh!” He laughed. But his smile faded, slowly being replaced with concern.

“Well, how about you come with me and be only in the flesh?” She smirked, grabbing his red tie near his collar and pulling it slightly towards her before letting slip through her fingers. Romeo blinked in disbelief but nodded and let Juliet take the lead. They walked outside and Juliet led Romeo into an alley behind the bar. She shoved him into the wall and pulled a small gun from the strap on her thigh. Romeo’s face changed from arousal to confusion and disbelief in the blink of an eye.

“What are you doing?!” Romeo cried out.

“Getting rid of an enemy, what does it look like?” During her attack a strap of her dress slipped, exposing a branded letter C on her shoulder.

“Oh my God,” Romeo exclaimed. “You’re Juliet Capulet!”

“Heh, some detective you are,” She scoffed.

In that brief moment, she let her guard down, allowing Romeo to grab the gun from her, immediately gaining the upper hand. They continued the struggle as storm clouds rolled in. The rain began to pour, causing the fight to become even more intense, considering the newly slippery terrain. After breaking away from one another for a moment to catch their breath, their eyes met as a streetlight illuminated the scene. Romeo smirked and made some remark about Juliet being soaked, from the rain, of course, and needing to get out of her dress. Before she could slap him, Romeo caught her hand and they held each other’s gaze for a moment too long. They both smiled slightly. With Juliet’s hand still in his grasp, Romeo led her to the stairs leading up to his apartment. They closed the door and drew the blinds. Before they had a chance to consider the consequences of what they were about to do, they began kissing as if they had been thirsty their whole lives and this was the only way to quench it. The jig was up, they were in love.

Later that night…

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain beat down on the pavement, and the wind howled through the streets. In Romeo’s small, dingy apartment, the two young lovers lay in bed together, sharing a cigarette.

“Juliet,” Romeo said, gazing at her. “If all the skies were paper, and all the seas were ink, I couldn’t begin to write my love for you.”

“Oh, Romeo,” Juliet sighed. “I love you too.” They kissed, and for a moment, all the world seemed to disappear. But then, a harsh knock on the door. The lovers pulled themselves apart before the door burst open. Juliet, recognizing the voices, ran to the next room and hid. A group of men stormed in, Capulets.

“Where is she?” one of the men demanded.

“Who?” Romeo asked.

“Giulietta,” the man said with a thick Italian accent. “We know she’s here.”

“You’re mistaken. She’s not here,” Romeo said.

“We’ll see about that,” one of them said. The men started to search the apartment. One of the men stood and watched Romeo as they searched for Juliet. After a moment, one of the men dragged her into the main room. As the men went to search the rest of the apartment, one of the men stood with his gun pointed at Romeo and Juliet. They looked to the window and saw the fire escape. As the men ransacked their apartment, they beckoned the man watching Romeo and Juliet into the other room. He motioned with his gun at the two lovers as he backed away, clearly meaning “stay put or else”. This was their only chance to escape.

They quickly tried to open the window but it didn’t budge. Romeo picked up a chair and hurled it through the window. The men heard the glass shattering, saw the lovers escaping, and began shooting. Their bullets hit the metal with a deafening clang. As Romeo and Juliet descended, the fire escape began to give way as the bullets weakened its structure. They jumped and landed in a dumpster. Romeo and Juliet lay there for a moment, gasping for breath. In that moment they knew that they could never go back. Their families were enemies, and would never accept their love. Romeo and Juliet had to run away, start a new life, and hope that one day they could safely be together.

Romeo and Juliet raced out of the dumpster and through the streets to the train station and bought tickets to the furthest destination. They boarded the train, still soaking wet from the rain and smelling of the dumpster, and settled in for their long ride. They held hands as they looked out at the passing scenery. They knew their troubles were not over, their families would still be looking for them. But for now, they were happy and they were together, and that was all that mattered.

They arrived in a new town and found the nearest inn. The innkeeper gave them keys to a cabin that was close to the edge of the forest. They were finally able to rest for the night, knowing that at least their families weren’t lurking in the shadows. Little did they know, Romeo’s family was lurking in the shadows. As the lovers lay in bed, voices were heard approaching the cabin. Romeo assured Juliet that he would take care of it, that he recognized the voices and could keep the situation under control, but it was imperative that she stay inside and not listen to what he was saying. He then quickly got dressed and opened the front door, stepping out into the open, and finally facing the men who threatened their freedom.

Standing before him was his family, guns visible. His cousin, Benvolio, stood in the middle of the pack. Romeo walked towards them with a light, playful demeanor, “Benny! My man, what are you doing here?”

“Really? What am I doing here? Romeo, you’re here with the enemy and we know it! We know you’re sleeping with a Capulet,” Benvolio yelled. “They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But I guess the quickest way to his head is through his pants.”

Romeo began to laugh. “Wow, Benny! I didn’t think you were that stupid. You think I would actually love her? Giulietta Capulet, the daughter of the head of the Capulet Crime Family?! I’m only sleeping with her for information, and she didn’t even notice – and she’s supposed to be one of their best spies! It’s an off-books job, so let’s try to keep this under raps, huh?”

“I – I don’t know what to say,” says Benvolio.

Suddenly, Juliet bursts out of the cabin, eyes filled with tears. She had been listening to the conversation from behind the door. “Well, I sure as hell have something to say.”

“Juliet? Wait!” Romeo’s character falls and he is immediately concerned for her safety. She’s surrounded by people who have wanted her dead for years.

“I can’t believe you! I loved you!” She starts throwing things at Romeo. Before he can try to calm her down and let her know what’s actually going on there’s a flash of light and a puff of smoke. Juliet’s face turns pale as she looks down. With shaky hands, she reaches where the pain resides and raises it back up to her eyes. Blood.

“Romeo…” She falls to her knees, and before another word is spoken Romeo is on the ground at her side.

“You lied to me. How could you say those horrible things if they weren’t true?” Juliet asked weakly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I wanted them to leave, I thought that was the only way… I promise… I wish I could have done it over…”

Suddenly, The Capulets arrived at the scene. They ran towards the crowd and see the Montagues surrounding the two lovers. Romeo was over Juliet’s body as her blood continued to spill into the grass, his back turned to the Capulets. Thinking that he was responsible for her state, they began shooting. Bullets began whizzing by, both families were shooting. Romeo was struck and fell to the ground, the Capulets assuming him dead. He was not, though he soon would be. He spoke to Juliet softly, declaring his undying love for her and apologizing for not keeping her safe. With her dying breath, she forgave him and they embraced. They watched the stars come out with the sound of gunfire fading away as they both slipped away into an endless sleep.