Romeo and Juliet

Starring: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, Milo O'Shea, Pat Heywood, Robert Stephens, Michael York, Bruce Robinson, Paul Hardwick, Natasha Parry, Esmeralda Ruspoli, Dyson Lovell, Laurence Olivier (narrator, uncredited)
Directed by: Franco Zeffirelli
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Romance
1968

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Romeo (Leonard Whiting) and Juliet (Olivia Hussey) fall in love, despite their families deep hatred for each other.

Review:

Tim: Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet might be the best adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play ever committed to film. I loved this movie in the beginning- for the first hour plus, I thought it was a great film. It stumbles a little in the back half, but make no mistake, this is a wildly successful adaptation. It's a powerful, memorable film that is expertly made.

What first stands out about this film is that it was the first major film production to use actors actually close to the ages of its titular characters. For a host of reasons, older actors were typically used. This film cast actual teenagers to play Romeo and Juliet. That makes a huge difference, giving a sense of authenticity to the production, one that feels significantly more accurate and close to the source material. It helps that Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey were perfectly cast. I really enjoyed Whiting as Romeo. He has the right balance of strength and vulnerability. There's the right mix of believe and naivete in his performance. It's messy at times, innocent at others. He makes a worthwhile Romeo, a young character who is in love for the first time and not fully sure how to process all his feelings. It's a strong performance. His partner, Olivia Hussey, is a revelation. I thought her performance was stunning. This fresh faced actress gives an unforgettable performance- one filled with charisma, energy, but great depth. Hussey acts far beyond her years, making Juliet feel alive in a way I've never seen done on screen before. Her talent is immense and she delivers a performance for the ages. I thought she was wonderful in this role. She works well opposite Whiting and it's genuinely fun to see their chemistry on screen together. Hussey's contributes to this film cannot be overstated. It's the best Juliet performance of all time and I sincerely doubt it'll ever be eclipsed. That's how good it is.

The supporting cast is strong. I especially loved seeing Michael York as Tybalt. York throws himself into the role and feels larger-than-life on screen. John McEnery gives a strong, memorable performance. You find your eye drawn to him throughout the film. Milo O'Shea brings immense emotion to his role, which is all the more impressive given how restrained his performance needed to be. Pat Heywood was a big over-the-top for my liking, but she makes her presence felt. The rest of the cast is good, all giving impressive performances, given the challenging material they had to work with. It was nice to hear Laurence Olivier as the narrator. The cast is certainly the most spectacular part of this film.

Zeffirelli also puts on one heck of a production. The film is beautifully shot and staged. It feels like the play truly come to life. The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards- Best Picture and Best Director were warranted, although it didn't win either. It did win for Best Cinematography. The film is epic and the production lavish. It helps immensely to have some scope to this film and I agree that the cinematography was so strong, it absolutely elevates the entire film. It also won for Best Costume Design, and again, the detail here was impressive and it's a deserving win. The movie is off to a wonderful start- incredible cast, impeccably crafted. So, why didn't I think it was quite a "great" film?"

The problem for me comes in the latter third of the film. We've had some tremendous scenes before then. The street battles between the Capulets and the Montagues are thrilling, intense. The meeting between Romeo and Juliet is powerful, their growing romance is beautiful. The balcony scene between Whiting and Hussey is one of the greatest scenes I've ever seen in any movie ever- it's absolutely perfect. The way these young actors deliver their lines, the way they move, the emotion they pour into every movement and every word- it's among the finest scenes in movie history. I truly believe that. I loved it more than I can explain. I was convinced at the film's greatness at that point. The problem comes afterwards. Maybe some of this has to do with the play itself, maybe some of it is Zeffirelli's inability to maintain that same level of momentum, but the movie settles into itself and it takes an extraordinarily long time for it to conclude. I felt my interest wavering. I felt the emotions I experienced in the beginning start to fade. I was no longer enthralled by these characters and their story. The long march to tragedy feels like it takes too long. By the time the film concluded, I felt no tears, I felt no emotions during the most emotional part of the entire film. I was glad we were nearing the end, I was tired of the movie. That's it. That is why I can't quite claim this is a great film. It feels like it's 65-70% of a great movie, but that last third of the movie loses some effectiveness. I'm not entirely sure how to deal with this- the play's the play, but perhaps some editing and more cutting of Shakespeare's work would have helped the film.

This being said, Romeo and Juliet is still a film that deserves incredible praise. Hussey's performance is one for the ages and Zeffirelli's focus on the production makes the whole thing come to life. This is a special adaptation and an extremely good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Chimes at Midnight, Julius Caesar, Romeo + Juliet