Rating: 
Summary: Parting is such sweet sorrow
Review: "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. ~TheRebeccaReview.com
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Summary: * sigh * so very sad, so very good
Review: A great movie about love. Very sad. The soundtrack still blows me away.
Rating: 
Summary: The best interpretation of this work so far...!
Review: As far as I know, Zefferelli has maybe one badly reviewed film to his name: "Tea With Mussolini". Everything else the man has done has been praised to the skies and been worthy of it. If you don't believe me, rent this movie or "La Traviata" and you'll see why! His version of this famous story is the film that gave birth to that reputation. Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" is the 'quotemeister' for me amongst his plays. "Hamlet", of course, has quite a few memorable ones, and most often is the one quoted. however, R&J is BRIMMING with bon mots! Voila: "Drawn...?! And talk of peace?! I hate the word." "I tell you, he who lays hold of her, shall have the chinks!" "Sweetmeats tainted are!" "Who is Tybalt? Better then King of Cats, I'll wager!" "I move for no man's pleasure, I!" "T'is not so wide as a church door, nor as deep as a well, but t'is enough, t'will suffice!" "Come back tomorrow, and you will find me a grave man....!" "I AM FORTUNE'S FOOL!!" "This day is black feint!" "PUNK RAMPANT!!" "I know better men than him, and twenty such jacks..." "Now...hie thee home....FRAGMENT!" "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet...." "Give me a case to put my visage in!" "True...I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain..." "She doth teach the torches to burn bright! She hangs upon the cheek of night, like a rich jewel in an ethiop's ear!" I could go on for paragraphs listing all the great turns of phrase in this play/film, something Shakespeare was known for, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say that the acting of all members of the cast is excellent, particularly John McEnry's Mercutio...he really couldn't have been a better choice for the role, as the jester among the Montagues. Olivia Hussey's Juliet is an elfin, delicate beauty that most fellas would give their left arm for, especially Italian fellas at the edge of the Middle Ages! Pat Heywood's Nurse is excellent...somehow, her exuberant and natural reading of the role allows you to ignore the fact that her rather strong cockney accent should be out of place in 17th century Verona. Michael York's Tybalt is great! The way he is made up, he resembles a mischievous young bull minus the horns, just the right look for the contentious, troublemaking character. The one SLIGHTLY weak spot seems to be Leonard Whiting as Romeo...he seems too plastic, too pretty...too perfect looking for a roughhousing teenage boy fascinated with the sweet young Juliet. He is, however, light years better in the role than the weak presence cast in the OTHER prominent version of the story, the Norma Shearer/Leslie Howard version done in the 30s. Except for Shearer, who is a revelation in WHATEVER she's in, this version was a casting director's NIGHTMARE! Howard was a TRULY wimpy Romeo, totally unbelievable; John Barrymore was a 50 yr. old Mercutio and looked it, and, (and I have no idea who the casting director was who made THIS mistake,) Andy Devine was cast as a prominent supernumerary! That's Andy Devine, as in "Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy!" If it hadn't been for the presence of Ms. Shearer in this cast as Juliet and for the excellent B&W cinematography, the movie would be completely unwatchable. As it stands now, it's camp joke that should fuel Saturday night giggle parties for every university drama class you can name from here until Gabriel blows his horn! Zefferelli's film was immensely popular for its time, making something like $40,000,000, if I'm not mistaken, in its initial release. It is beautifully staged, cast, acted and researched and can still hold an audience 36 years after the fact! The script seems to be written in a style very faithful to that of Shakespeare's own and the actors' turns of these phrases are expert in just about every case. Nowhere in the world of filmed period plays will you see a better production than this geniune 60s phenomonon, (except for maybe "Amadeus", "The Lion in Winter" or "Excalibur"). Buy it or rent it...you will enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: I never thought I would say this....
Review: As your average, "You WILL be watcing Romeo & Juliet!" highschool student, I've hated every other production of this story.
I really liked this one becuase the stars were actually the right age for their parts (a 30 year old Juliet and Romeo in a midlife crisis are really hard to believe as teenagers), the lines were easier to follow for some reason, and all the boring and pointless parts to the original story have been cut. All that is left is a beautifully told, wonderfully directed Romeo And Juliet that lets you get the full impact of Shakespeare's original without all the boredom and the "What did he just say's or "What's going on?"
Long story short, loved the movie and hope, really hope, that teachers will stop showing the same drab theater production they've been using for decades and switch to this one. Trust me, teachers, your class will love you for it.
Rating:
Summary: I never thought I would say this....
Review: As your average, "You WILL be watcing Romeo & Juliet!" highschool student, I've hated every other production of this story.
I really liked this one becuase the stars were actually the right age for their parts (a 30 year old Juliet and Romeo in a midlife crisis are really hard to believe as teenagers), the lines were easier to follow for some reason, and all the boring and pointless parts to the original story have been cut. All that is left is a beautifully told, wonderfully directed Romeo And Juliet that lets you get the full impact of Shakespeare's original without all the boredom and the "What did he just say's or "What's going on?"
Long story short, loved the movie and hope, really hope, that teachers will stop showing the same drab theater production they've been using for decades and switch to this one. Trust me, teachers, your class will love you for it.
Rating:
Summary: I love this movie!
Review: Couldn't get through this movie when I was in my early teens (then, I thought it was too sappy and couldn't follow it -- did teenagers really talk and act like that?). But I recently purchased it and had a quiet time away from the husband (he's really not into movies like this). Boy, what I missed the first time! This is a true "get out your tissues" movie! I didn't realize Michael York (Austin Powers) was in this movie as the character Tybalt until I read the credits. Milo O'Shea was excellent as the Friar Laurence who helped the star-crossed lovers (played by Whiting and Hussey). If only Romeo had waited a few moments longer for his beloved Juliet to wake up. It gives you a glimpse of what people's mindset were like, all in the name of love. I'm glad I matured enough to appreciate this movie. I will never get tired of watching it.
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Summary: Probably The BEST Version Of The Bard's Timeless Tragedy!!
Review: Franco Zefferelli (who made his directorial debut with "The Taming Of The Shrew" and would go on to direct "Jesus Of Nazareth", a mammoth six hour TV miniseries and "Hamlet" starring Mel Gibson, director, producer and co-screenwriter of "The Passion Of The Christ") does an excellent job directing "Romeo And Juliet." This version (and "West Side Story", which is the closest to modern as you should get to Shakespeare) is better than the sh---- modern one directed by Baz Luhrman and starring Leonardo DiCaprio ("TITANIC", a movie which could've been better, but that's another story) and Claire Danes ("Little Women," "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines," etc.) Take my word for it, Leonard Whiting and the lovely Olivia Hussey are very believable as the doomed lovers in 15th century Verona, not only given their ages, which made them entirely suitable for the role, but also their acting in this movie. Michael York (who made his acting debut in Zefferell's "The Taming Of The Shrew") plays Tybalt, exuding pure malice, though John Leguizamo didn't do such a bad job, but THAT version was "Fart." 'Twas that bad. Sir Laurence Olivier, considered the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day (watch his 1948 Oscar-winning version of "Hamlet" and you'll know why I agree 100% with that), has an uncredited role as the offscreen Narrator. This version is well-done. Should've won Best Picture. My favorite part is when Juliet says, "It is, it is, high hence begone; away." Olivia Hussey has a great body in this film. Rated PG for brief nudity.
Rating:
Summary: The Masterpiece Of Romantic Tragedy On DVD
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Vibrant Rendering of Shakespeare Play
Review: Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" is a rare thing. It is vibrant and full of life even if the story does concern two star-crossed lovers. He made all the correct choices here. By casting actual teenagers in the title roles Zeffirelli brought energy to the Bard's words. The art direction, the costumes, cinematography, and Nino Rota's classic score are other elements that enhance this work. As stated previously, Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, and Michael York as Tybalt give energetic and effervescent work. It's a shame that Whiting and Hussey didn't have more substantial careers after this film. When you mention Shakespeare to most people it's usually greeted with a hesitancy because the language is considered a chore to get through. This may not be the greatest screen adaptation of a Shakespeare work, however, for a neophyte this is an excellent starting point.
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Summary: Romeo And Juliet: Movie Review
Review: Franco Zeffirelli's Oscar winning 1968 Romeo And Juliet is a revolutionary masterpiece! This is a flamboyant and very popular adaptation of the famous Shakespearean tragedy, in which actual teenagers play the leads. Two young lovers, who come from feuding families, desperately wish to stay together. They go to a gentle friar for help, and, in hopes their wedding will end the conflict, he comes up with an ingenious plot to unite them. However, when a miscommunication destroys their plans, they make a tragic decision - a decision that brings peace, but too late to help the lovers themselves. Olivia Hussey is the heartbreakingly beautiful, vulnerable, and courageous woman, who shines as sweet Juliet. Leonard Whiting's poetic good looks, sensitivity, and cleverness, make his portrayal of young Romeo seem unparalleled. In addition, Michael York is outstanding as the feisty Tybalt, John McEnery is brilliant as lively punster Mercutio, and Milo O'Shea is absolutely wonderful as the ever so bright, Friar Lawrence. Zeffirelli's career as an opera director is put to spectacular use here. Each scene is meticulously crafted to be an exact replica of the Renaissance with stunningly beautiful clothing, jewels, furniture, food, glass, and sculpture - it is an overwhelming feast for the eyes. The preserved medieval towns of Tuscany, and the lovely Borghese palace where the balcony scene is set, give the film the look of an animated Renaissance painting. Zeffirelli took some liberties with Shakespeare's original script for the sake of brevity, but unless you are a die-hard purist, this is a minor flaw. The true shining star in this film is the delightful, Ms. Pat Heywood who steals the screen with each moment she graces it. She plays Juliet's Nurse and does so with such power, whimsy, and conviction that you simply must love her. Pat Heywood gave the commonly droll Nurse character life and vibrancy I have yet to see in a performance of this play live of filmed. In either case, the characters in this film play extraordinary parts and they do it with such poignancy!
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