Review of Romeo and Juliet (1968) by Richard L — 10 Jun 2015

Director Zeffirelli and the screenwriters emphasize the youthful passion and romance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and slightly deemphasize the bawdy humor, social commentary, some of the witty exchanges, and a few side plots (including the final scenes involving Paris), resulting in a streamlined narrative that manages to hurt just a little more than the already heartbreaking play.

Olivia Hussey as Juliet and Leonard Whiting as Romeo are all youth and violent emotion, a winning combination. Their line readings are glorious, though I so wish Hussey had been given the opportunity to deliver Juliet's entire "Farewell!" soliloquy from Act 4, Scene 3. Whiting's shouted reading of "O, I am fortune's fool!" from Act 3, Scene 1 is devastating and chilling.

The setting and cinematography are colorful and vivid, and I love the camerawork. Zeffirelli frames many of his shots so well; I especially love the way he uses windows, arches, and glasswork handles as frames within frame. The men's attire is a little, uh, unexpected, and the women's attire often offers unexpected commentary about the treatment of women at the time.

Indeed, I love, love, love this film, even as it tears my heart out and stomps on it.