We know how it ends, but Romeo & Juliet keep plugging along
“O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Well, lots of places, actually. Especially at the movies.
One of William Shakespeare’s most revered plays, written somewhere around the 1590s, follows the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families that ends tragically (spoiler alert, I guess?).
The play has been made into countless movie adaptations, some with twists on the tale, others not. The latest adaptation, “Juliet & Romeo,” opens Friday, May 9. The story follows the classic love story, but leaves the poetry of Shakespeare’s Iambic Pentameter behind and presents the tale as an original pop musical. Well, as original as “Romeo & Juliet” can get. Cue the dance numbers!
The film joins some acclaimed (and not so acclaimed) adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. Here’s a look:
“Romeo and Juliet” (1936) – The first big-budget adaptation was directed by George Cukor (“Little Women”). The film stars Leslie Howard as Romeo and Norma Shearer as Juliet, with a supporting cast of John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, and Andy Devine. The film was set against lavish sets and costumes, and was a grand production for its time.
“West Side Story” (1961) – This is an adaptation of the classic Broadway musical that modernizes the story to New York City and also leaves all Iambic Pentameter behind, pitting two rival teenage street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks against each other, with Tony (inspired by Romeo) and Maria (Juliet) trying to find their way. This features iconic music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It won 10 Oscars, including best picture.
“Romeo & Juliet” (1968) – Director Franco Zeffirelli’s classic (and probably most faithful) interpretation was a commercial and critical success, earning four Oscar nominations, including best picture and director, and winning Oscars for best cinematography and costume design.
“Romeo + Juliet” (1996) – Stylish director Baz Luhrmann brought his splashy, vibrant style to the story and updated the setting to modern day Verona Beach, Calif., albeit still utilizing Shakespearean English. It stars a then up-and-coming Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title roles, with Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlethwaite and Paul Sorvino in supporting roles. The film was met with generally positive reviews and grossed more than $147 million against its $14.5 million budget. Oh, what yonder brings when pretty people lead the way!
“Gnomeo & Juliet” (2011) – This animated entry is loosely based on the source material and features a stunning voice cast of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham and Maggie Smith. The story follows Gnomeo and Juliet, a pair of garden gnomes who fall in love, but due to the feud between their respective families, must find a way to keep their blossoming romance a secret. Sigh.
“Romeo & Juliet” (2013) – This adaptation, written by Julian Fellowes (Oscar winner for 2002’s “Gosford Park”) stars Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, Damian Lewis, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ed Westwick, Stellan Skarsgård and Paul Giamatti. While remaining faithful to the original plot, it uses only some of the dialogue written by Shakespeare. This apparently led to some criticism that the film loses the essence of the play (Hey, it’s a re-make!). Nevertheless, the film has a paltry 24 percent rating on aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Love hurts!
“West Side Story” (2021) – Director Steven Spielberg moves the story to 1957 New York City in dazzling, respectful style, with Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler (in her screen debut) as the star-crossed lovers. Four-time Oscar nominee Tony Kushner’s script updates the story a bit with nods to female empowerment and sexual identity, but it’s all still a thrilling story and production to behold.