ROMEO AND JULIET IN MOVIES

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 The work of Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, over the years, inspired a lot of directors to make their own version of the story. According to wikipedia there are over 44 film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, dating back to 1908 to now. The first one was a silent short film directed by J. Stuart Blackton but it’s now considered lost. Some of the movies are inspired by it, while some are retellings of the original story. Here are some of the most famous movies taken from the play:





1. Romeo and Juliet (1936)

This movie is one of the most famous adaptations of those years. Directed by George Cukor, Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer play the star-crossed lovers in this black-and-white film. Both actors were exceptionally talented but, because they were twice the proper age of their respective roles, it was heavily criticized. In fact, the original story had as theme their young love, so it’s quite challenging for the actors to interpret that kind of teen love. Nevertheless, this version is quite faithful to the play. 


TRAILER: https://youtu.be/IoAgB_sbDOE

2. Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation received a lot of praise not only from the audience but also from critics. It stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey who were unknown before taking the roles. They were able to brilliantly perform and that made them appreciated. Moreover, critics have described it as the best all-time film adaptation, for being a visually appealing film and for being able to capture the young romance between Romeo and Juliet. 



3. Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Baz Luhrmann is able to combine the original Shakespearean dialogue with a post-modern setting. It’s played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. In this version, the families are rival gangs who fight with guns instead of swords and it takes place in Verona Beach, California. One of the most important things is fashion, which distinguishes the two gangs: the Capulets look tougher, with leather pants and gun holsters, while the Montagues look easy-going with their billowing button-downs and spiked hair.



4. Shakespeare in Love (1998) 

It’s directed by John Madden and it dramatizes the writing of Romeo and Juliet rather than adapting the play itself. William Shakespeare, played by Joseph Fiennes, has a writer’s block but he meets Viola de Lesseps, Gwyneth Paltrow, a noblewoman who dreams of being on stage and who will become his muse. The film incorporates a lot of the original text through the main characters' rehearsals for the play. It’s an affectionate movie with a perfectly sad and sweet ending.




5. Romeo must die (2000)

This is probably the worst adaptation for various reasons. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, the movie is an action thriller that pairs Jet Li and Aaliyah in a contorted gang-war plot. The main actors appeal on their own but their chemistry is nonexistent. In addition, it was described as shallow and dull.

                                       


6. Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)

This humorous animated family movie directed by Kelly Asbury has been viewed positively by the audience. It’s charming and cute, and it’s accompanied by Elton John’s songs which give the movie a light atmosphere. It’s inspired by the original play but the story is rearranged to be more family-friendly. The voice actors of Gnomeo and Juliet are James Mcavoy and Emily Blunt.



7. Warm Bodies (2013) 

The movie is inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy and it takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which zombies become a part of the planet like humans. There’s a romantic relationship between a zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) and a human named Julie (Teresa Palmer). It’s written and directed by Jonathan Levine.



8. Romeo and Juliet (2013)

This film didn’t have great success although it had an impressive cast and true-to-the-period art direction. Romeo and Juliet are played by Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld who were quite young at the time of the filming. In fact, at 16, Hailee Steinfeld was actually a pretty age-appropriate Juliet. But the film, while visually satisfying, lacked energy and chemistry between the main actors.









 Written by Karel Cruz, Eleonora Baraccani, Camilla Guida and Eleonora Benni

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