Product: Romeo and Juliet [Region 2] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
Parting is such sweet sorrow
"My only love sprung from my only hate, too early seen unknown, and known too late! Oh! Prodigious birth of love it is to me that I must love a loathed enemy." ~JulietThe sweetest sorrow in all the world must be to love completely with your entire heart and then never to be able to be with the one you love. To be dead would seem better than living with the pain of parting or of never meeting again. The love in this movie drives Romeo and Juliet towards their fate.In this poignant drama of doomed lovers, Romeo (Leonard Whiting) and Juliet (Olivia Hussey) fall in love instantly and obsessively want to create the mythology of their own lives. Have there ever been any two lovers who acted so rashly and paid so dearly for their passion? They seem far too young to be flirting with life and death and yet their reticence is almost conquered by their overwhelming desires to be together so soon after they meet.Romeo and Juliet exchange some of the richest and most well known dialogues in the history of literature. The acting is ardent and authentic.I almost love the cute silly lines as much as the deeply passionate ones.Juliet: I will not fail: tis twenty years till then.I have forgot why I did call thee back.Romeo: Let me stand here till thou remember it.Juliet: I shall forget, to have thee stand there,Remembering how I love thy company.Romeo: And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget.The Balcony Scene is perhaps the most romantic, erotic, spicy, innocent and exciting scene in any movie every made. During this scene they decide to wed before they bed. The bawdy nurse sympathizes with the lovers and helps to arrange the marriage.The true tragedy stems from the forbidden quality of their love. They are the children of the Montagues and the Capulets, feuding families.This movie seems "mostly" to be about young love, but also brings our awareness to the fact that love can kill as easily as hate. The movie is emotionally charged from the start and continues to be charged with lust, love, hate, jealousy and just about any emotion you can imagine.While Romeo and Juliet are falling madly in love, many of the other characters seem to be going mad. Dueling is found throughout this movie and contributes to the utter tragedy of hate in its most vile form. While we do not wish for anyone?s death, I was quite happy when Mercutio left us to rest in peace. Although, I did enjoy his "Queen Mab speech." His contribution to the movie was otherwise irritating, yet I guess he seemed to be going mad from being out in the sun too much."True, I talk of dreams; which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy; which is as thin of substance as the air, and more inconstant than the wind who woos even now the frozen bosom of the north, and being angered puffs away from thence, turning his side to the dew-dropping south."This is a very human tragedy. Anyone who has gone through the experience of falling in love at a young age will relate. There are elements of ideal love, rebellion against parents and the excitement of new discoveries that appeal to us all. Juliet completely rebels when her father proposes an arranged marriage. Her tantrum scene is rather memorable.This movie was filmed in the sun drenched towns of Italy and is beyond lavish. I could watch this over and over again just for the Renaissance costumes, the scenes of Italy and the chambers, fountains and churches. Not to mention choreographed dance sequences, jewels, food in the market scenes and the lovely Olivia Hussey.So many scenes could be paintings. The cinematic elements exceeded all my expectations. Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" is perhaps one of the finest films ever made and is now my favorite Shakespearean adaptation.Yes love might be sweeter than honey and as bitter as gall and sad hours can seem very long.~The Rebecca Review