Product: Romeo and Juliet [Region 2] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
The Masterpiece Of Romantic Tragedy On DVD
Franco Zefferelli, Italian director best known for his visually lavish films (Hamlet, Othello, La Traviata) assembled the best cinematic elements to produce the finest interpretation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy of forbidden love. Romeo and Juliet is not only the Bard's most memorable and popular tragedy, but it is the most human, applying to everyone who has ever felt the experience of falling in love and being young. In the 60's, when this film was made (1968) to be exact, this idealism about love and rebellion against an authority that forbade such love, appealed to so many. The milieu of the 60's itself is quite clear in the film. Leonard Whiting (Romeo) looks like a Beatles singer and is the first young actor to actually portray a young man in love. Before this, it was always an older experienced actor portraying an 18 yr old Romeo. Olivia Hussey, 15 yrs old at the time of the film, is the perfect Juliet- passionate and convincing. The cinematography that Zefferelli delivers is outstanding. He captures the Shakespearen spirit, mostly in the detailed, historically accurate Renaissance costumes, the scenes of Italian streets and market places, mansions, churches, tombs, scenery, masks, fountains, furniture and music. Although the dialogue and script of Shakespeare's play is shortened for reasons of time, the movie nevertheless entertains us and compels us.The tragedy is all too familiar. Romeo is hopelessly in love with Juliet, although they come from the feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets (the play never specified the reason of the feud). Against the overwhelming opposition, Romeo and Juliet marry in secret. But when Juliet's father engages her to marry the Count Paris, and Romeo is exiled for the death of Tybalt, things look grim for the lovers. Juliet takes a vial that weakens her body so that she appears dead. Romeo, when seeing that Juliet is inside the family tomb, takes poison himself and dies. Juliet awakens to figure out her mistake and that Romeo is dead. She then stabs herself. The Montagues and Capulets learn of the tragedy and repent their foolish ways, making peace after so many years of bitter rivalry.On DVD, the theatrical experience that a generation of people saw on the big screen in 1968 returns to be enjoyed by the present generation. Romeo and Juliet is a masterpiece, both in the artistic sense and as a film. It surpasses even the MTV remake by the avant garde director, Baz Luhrman. Five stars and very good ratings for this one of a kind film about the eternally star crossed lovers.