Just another way to do R&J

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 1999)

The film is indeed a creative way to do Romeo and Juliet, but many viewers may see it as just that... another Romeo and Juliet. Indeed, the most emotional parts of the film are the direct quotes from Shakespeare's work. The rest seems almost like filler. Paltrow, Affleck, and others have commented on how "historically accurate" the film is. This seems to be true for the costume and set design, however, major historical mistakes seem to be evident. For example, Jamestown, Virginia (the first settlement in Virginia) wasn't founded until 1607, some years after Shakespeare wrote R&J (ca.1595). Even if this estimation is incorrect, Shakespeare would have to have been at least 43 when Virginia was colonized, much older than the young star of the film.
Also notable is the effort made to darken the Queen's teeth, showing how poor hygiene technology was. However, all the "main" characters have pearly whites. This condensing of time, and other factors made me feel that I was just watching another rendition of Romeo and Juliet, done yet another way. Television film critics have recently commented on the trend of modernizing Shakespeare, a trend I feel is unnecessary.