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Plot Summary
Shakespeare's classic tale of romance and tragedy. Two families of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, have been feuding with each other for years. Young Romeo Montague goes out with his friends to make trouble at a party the Capulets are hosting, but while there he spies the Capulet's daughter Juliet, and falls hopelessly in love with her. She returns his affections, but they both know that their families will never allow them to follow their hearts.
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Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
97%- Reviews Counted: 31
- Fresh: 30
- Rotten: 1
- Average Rating: 8.0/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is a lovely, sensitive, friendly popularization of the play...
Fresh: The success of the film depends upon Whiting and Miss Hussey...They are magnificent.
Fresh: For many, this remains the definitive big-screen Romeo And Juliet.
Fresh: Mostly it remains enjoyable for its color and visual flair.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful
I'm 16 and this movie taught me to enjoy shakespeare. Sure, there is the atrocious bit of acting here and there, and I can't understand half of what they're saying, even with subtitles, but it's a heck of a lot better than that junk with Dicaprio! And even if most teenagers are bored with the movie itself, surely getting to see [almsot all of] Olivia Hussey, the most gorgeous young actress ever, will make it worth it!
Classic in all forms
This is the best movie adapted from one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. I've seen this during my high school days and it gripped me, internally; what ever that means. Buy it and watch it. I highly recommend it for anybody who is a fan of his legendary work.
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
This is the classic filmed version of the play for lots of reasons, most of which have been remarked upon already. What cracks me up is the breadth of reaction to the film within the posted reviews. Lol... it's a good reminder of something that has always been true of any artistic endeavor - some will love it, some will hate it. :) I prefer this version to the oft-mentioned DeCaprio/Danes version because I felt the director failed to use those two actors, both of whom are great, to their best advantage. I love some modern adaptations of Shakespeare but that particular film didn't work for me. Zeffirelli is a master of visuals and bringing classic forms to film. By the way, if you liked this film, you might try his Otello (starring Placido Domingo). One thing I really love about Shakespeare and this film is that it hits you differently at different times in your life. In 1968, I was 17 and saw it at the theater when it came out. It spoke to me deeply from Juliet's POV. Over the years, I saw the movie many times and became aware of other POVs (Romeo's, Tybult's, the Nurse's and the mother's, the Prince's etc.). Yesterday, when I watched it again for the first time in a decade or more, I found myself identifying so much more with the title song and its lyrics (A rose will bloom, and then must fade, so too a youth, so too even the fairest maid...) and how sad it is that the young end up being symbolic to their elders (trophies, pawns, means to their own ends, reflections of themselves, etc.) more often than being seen as individuals whose independent feelings should be taken into account. It's the same with most all of Shakespeare - it speaks meaningfully to everyone who allows it to, no matter what your age when you experience it.
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