Baz Luhrmans adaptation of the classical story of Romeo and Juliet is set in modern times, but still closely follows the story written by Shakespeare. By bringing the tale to modern times, it makes the story much more relatable ot the audience, and who doesn't love seeing a young Leo? There's plenty of underlying messages that the director has put in and I'm sure you could write an entire thesis on them, but it really adds to the watching of the film.