Product: Romeo and Juliet [Region 2] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
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When Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet opens, we hear the same words we've heard countless times before, and yet the music, the view, and the voice immediately pull us in once more. And this time, we get the idea that it's going to be special.The performances given by Olivia Hussey (Juliet) and Leonard Whiting (Romeo) are certainly not what is expected. Hussey was only sixteen and Whiting one year her senior. In a story that takes some stretch of the imagination to believe all the events that take place, it is a stroke of genius to have the actors be extremely close in age to the characters. They do not nail the immortal words of Shakespeare as well as trained actors might, but we forget about this as their professions of love seem to be the heartfelt words of two young people very much in love. We are easily able to believe that these people are wearing their own clothes rather than a costume.Zeffirelli did omit quite a few scenes, but with the beautiful cinematography, they seemed unnecessary. The lighting in all scenes was brilliantly placed. The two most important scenes, the balcony scene and the crypt scene, are examples of this. The balcony scene occurs after the party where our two lovers meet. Romeo has wandered inside the Capulets' walls and hears Juliet vocalizing her love for him and her consternation at finding that he is a hated Montague. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" He makes his presence known and they speak powerful words of love to each other and plan to meet the next day, when they will be married. The lighting is such that we think this is real. It is night. They are in love. This scene is so essential because we must believe their words wholeheartedly to be able to believe the rest of the story. The actors and director pull it off beautifully.The crypt scene is an equally important scene to orchestrate. In it, cruel timing results in Romeo finding Juliet in a death-like state. Juliet then awakens to find Romeo dead by his own hand in despair. Where else can we find two lovers mourning for one another's deaths? It is so improbable that it often seems contrived. Yet here, it is wrenching. Every time you see it, you keep hoping for her to wake up just a moment sooner. The lights cause the atmosphere to be just what you would expect it to be. The faint glow from the torches casts a small glimmer of hope into the dank gloom.The costumes, by Danilo Donati, won an Oscar and are a joy to watch. They add color to what would otherwise be a rather toned down world of stone and the colors of nature. The music, by Nino Rota, who composed the score for the Godfather movies, is exceptional and very well recognized. On a side note, it is commonly known that Rota would hum the theme on set to Zeffirelli for approval.Many stories lose their impact after countless viewings. We can be grateful that Zeffirelli's version of Romeo and Juliet allows it to remain fresh and emotionally powerful.