Romeo and Juliet (1968)
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Two teenagers from feuding families fall in love in 15th-century Verona, leading to a tragic series of events.
The story
In 15th-century Verona, a violent feud between the Montague and Capulet families erupts in a street brawl, leading the Prince to warn against further violence. That night, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a masked ball and fall instantly in love. They exchange secret pledges in the Capulet garden and are married in secret the following day by Friar Laurence. However, the peace is shattered when Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, challenges Romeo to a fight, resulting in a deadly confrontation that leads to Romeo's banishment from the city.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 15th-century Verona, the Montague and Capulet families are locked in a violent feud. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a masked ball and fall in love, secretly marrying the next day with the help of Friar Laurence. The peace is broken when Tybalt kills Mercutio, leading Romeo to kill Tybalt in retaliation and receive banishment from the Prince. While Romeo is away, Juliet's parents arrange her marriage to Count Paris. To avoid this, Juliet takes a potion from Friar Laurence to feign death for 42 hours. A plan to inform Romeo of the ruse fails when his servant, Balthasar, sees her being buried and informs Romeo. Believing Juliet is truly dead, Romeo travels to her tomb and drinks poison to die by her side. Juliet awakens shortly after, finds Romeo dead, and kills herself with his dagger. The two families, moved by the tragedy, end their feud and attend their joint funeral.
- First release year
- 1968
- Runtime (minutes)
- 138
- Production countries
- Italy; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; Italian
- Directors
- Franco Zeffirelli
- Writers
- Franco Brusati · screenplay; Masolino D'Amico · screenplay; Franco Zeffirelli · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Leonard Whiting · Romeo; Olivia Hussey · Juliet; Milo O'Shea · Friar Laurence; Michael York · Tybalt; John McEnery · Mercutio; Robert Stephens · Prince Escalus of Verona; Pat Heywood · The Nurse; Natasha Parry · Lady Capulet
- Genres
- romantic tragedy; period; historical drama; historical romance
- Themes
- forbidden love; family feud; fate; youthful rebellion
- Tone and mood
- romantic; tragic; melancholy
- Premise and plot tags
- Shakespearean adaptation; star-crossed lovers; historical romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Content notes
- nudity
- Reception
- The film was a financial success and was praised by many critics for its visuals and leads, becoming popular among teenagers for its casting of young actors.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · review count: 41
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Cinematography · Won; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Won; Academy Award · Best Director · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated; Golden Globe Award · Most Promising Newcomer · Won (Whiting); Golden Globe Award · Most Promising Newcomer · Won (Hussey)
- Production trivia
- Paul McCartney was considered for the role of Romeo.; Musician Phil Collins was in the running for Romeo.; Laurence Olivier's involvement was by happenstance; he was in Rome to film The Shoes of the Fisherman and visited the studio.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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