Costumes
In the opening scene of Romeo and Juliet the Montagues are all dressed in similar clothing such as the floral shirts they have donned, they are also very, what would be referred to today as 'laddish' and they seem to be a timeless version of the typical punk. This helps the audience to group the Montagues together and give them a group identity in the film as opposed to the much more formally dressed, suit jacket wearing Capulets who have a much more slick appearance overall including the vehicle they arrive in.
While creating a separate image for each group it also displays the contrast between the groups which could help the audience recognise the conflict between the groups.
The two separate groups; the Capulets and the Montagues also have different music playing as they are introduced to the audience. This non-diegetic soundtrack for the groups sets the tone for what kind of people are contained within the group and what to expect from them, where the Montagues have an upbeat, positive 'punkish' music track behind them, the Capulets have a more western themed backing track and this gives off a completely different vibe to that of the Montagues and again shows the separation between the two groups.
The diegetic sound when the Capulets are introduced is very exaggerated and noises such as Benvolio's Heel's clinking against the floor are edited to sound louder to the audience and it helps to create tension as well as building suspense.
Setting
The setting of the opening takes place in a petrol station, a very modern interpretation of the traditional story and the whole environment adds to the tension, what I mean by this is, the idea of being around very flammable containers makes people nervous normally, but when a conflict involving gunfire takes place in an environment like this, it really adds to the tension and helps keep the audience on the edge of their seat even if they don't realise that they are made more nervous by the environment, social stigmas mean that people will become nervous in this kind of environment sub-consciously and this is a very clever technique used by the writers.
Lighting
The light used is very natural, the scene all takes place outside and there is no artificial lighting. I think this was used as the scene follows the theme of a western showdown and I think the sunlight again reflects that of a western showdown and while a subtle technique it adds to the effect and helps the audience engage in what is going on and helps them to realise that a conflict is going to ensue due to the generic conventions that they associate it with.
