Romeo And Juliet - Charles Gounod (DVD)

Advantages: Dramatic irony, some exciting action.
Disadvantages: Bad acting, language and setting clash together alot.

...Romeo and Juliet, as we all know, is a classic tale of love and tragedy, written by William Shakespeare. The love between the two characters - in this film played by Leonardo DeCaprio and Claire Danes, is strictly forbidden and is made all the more intriguing by the fuge between the couples' two familes; the Capulets and the Montagues. In this modern version of the famous story, director Baz Luhrmann adds a special twist to mix things up a little. The main plot of the original story is followed, with a young lady named Juliet living with her parents; the Capulets, and a man named Romeo from the Montagues. One day they meet and fall in love with each other, but because of the hate bewteen the two families, they know that if they are caught there will be huge trouble. However, their love is too strong for them to be seperated, and they... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Interesting to see how they make the awkward pieces fit
Disadvantages: They don't always fit

...This is the second review of Romeo and Juliet I've done for Ciao. The first was about Franco Zeffirelli's version starring Olivia Hussey which came out in 1968. I loved that one. This version stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes and I was less enthusiastic. That's not to say it isn't well done and interesting with many lavish tableaux and clever adaptations of the original story. It is. Two things got up my nose all the way through, however. Firstly, I've never been a big fan of 'messing about with Shakespeare'. By that I mean, for example, sticking Macbeth in a jeep, or Hamlet in a rocket. I like the olde worlde charm of Shakespeare to whisk me back into history and places that follow long gone rules. The olden times and how people might have dressed and behaved lend Shakespeare much of its charm. So, Othello with a mobile 'phone... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Greatest Love story on DVD
Disadvantages: Hard to understand

..., primarily because of a nude scene featuring Whiting and Hussey. Zeffirelli had to get special permission for Hussey to appear nude in the film as she was only 15 years old at the time. Hussey later amusingly recalled that she was not permitted to view the film because it contained her own nudity. Can be purchased for £4.98 at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Romeo-Juliet-Leonard-Whiting/dp/B000085RNN/r ef=pdbbssr2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1198560466&sr=8-2 also can be purchased for £5.99 at: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/110830/Romeo-And-Juliet/Product.html... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful