Congratulations to the (moronic) screenwriters!!!

Rating: 1/10 (27 May 2008)

NEVER, NEVER, has Shakespeare been butchered more than in ROMEO + JULIET. Don't get me wrong: I was completely open to the idea of an updated version of Shakespeare's classic. I was even looking forward to it. And then, I watched it. Shakespeare's play is a classic for a reason-- this movie was put together as if it was a last minute project for an English class. The setting is completely updated-- Romeo now has a handgun, Friar Lawrence has a cross tattooed on his back, the Capulets and Montagues engage in a gunfight. And yet, they use dialogue from the original play! The setting LOOKS modern, but the speech sounds 16th century. Now, I would not have been bothered by this, but for one other thing. THE ACTORS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO RECITE Shakespeare! When DiCaprio recites his lines, he does so halfheartedly and monotonously-- as if he was saying, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm in love with this girl now. What a waste of an hour. Can I just poison myself already???". Only one character recites the Shakesperean dialogue well-- Friar Lawrence. If that was not enough, the screenwriters take delight in butchering a classic. Several key moments were omitted, such as the slaying of Paris. Mercutio, instead of being witty, is now just plain annoying. He, too, does not know how to speak Shakespeare. In short, it is an assault on the eyes, the ears, and the brain. With films like these, no wonder some people dislike Shakespeare! A plague o' all the scriptwriters!