The film Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968 was regarded as the most classic one among all the film versions of the story. Franco Zeffirelli wanted to let the film in full compliance with the original and focus on the complete text of the faithful into the picture. So he made a surprising and daring decision to choose two teenagers whose age is close to the characters' in the original to act for his film. The heroine was seventeen years old Olivia Hussey acting as Juliet and the hero was eighteen years old Leonard Whiting acting as Romeo. Although because of their age their acting skill might not as good as some famous experienced actors, their young and passionate spirits created the film real and natural and welcomed by a great amount of audience. They were just like the star -crossed lovers walking out of the original book,and our audience couldn't help being deeply immersed in their young and pure love story, laughing for them and crying for them.
How beautiful the scene when they first met in the dancing party.
So there forms an interesting contrast between the audience and the lovers. And Romeo easily found her. Oh ,his eyes could not leave her for a moment! And almost at the same time she found him too. They were looking at each other, and getting closer and closer. When Romeo took Juliet's hand impulsively in a sudden, the moment was so impressive and romantic. Only the actor and actress in their age could express the little nervousness and impulse when they first felt love so well. What a delicate moment ! How pure and young! the moment was so impressive and romantic. Only the actor and actress in their age could express the little nervousness and impulse when they first felt love so well. What a delicate moment! How pure and young! the moment was so impressive and romantic. Only the actor and actress in their age could express the little nervousness and impulse when they first felt love so well. What a delicate moment! How pure and young!
Another scene was also classic by the two young actors' well performance.
After the dancing party, Juliet stood by the balcony and said: “Oh Romeo, Romeo! Why are you called Romeo? Deny your father and refuse your name, or if you will not, swear to be my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet." Her face was so honest and her voice was so sincere. And Romeo----such a frank and smart guy, jumped out of the trees suddenly and gave his promise directly: "I take you at your word. Only call me love and I'll be baptized again. From now on, I'll never be Romeo!” Juliet was so surprised! Her facial expression was acted so well which described a little lovely girl's startle really penetrating. She was just about telling her inner secrets to the quiet night without knowing someone was hearing her confession! How could she let her secrets be leaked out? At that moment Juliet was like a little frightened deer, pure, clean and lovely.In order to calm down his love, Romeo climbed up the balcony quickly like a money! Oh ,how precisely he interpreted the crazy, the passion for his love!
Love was the theme of the film. Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting interpreted the young passionate love with their heart and won the Most Promising Newcomer-Male and Most Promising Newcomer-Female in the 1969 Golden Globe respectively.
Except for two young actor's nice performance, the film owned another distinguished feature----its music.
The soundtrack of the film was created by Nino Rota known as the Godfather of Italian music. Focus on the theme of the film---- love, he composed the famous song What is the Youth for the film and it became the classic melody and went deeply in audience's heart. “What is a youth? Impetuous fire, What is a maid? Ice and desire”. It was first sang in Romeo and Juliet's first meet, saying their youth, desire and strong emotion. “Death will come soon to hush us along. Sweeter than honey and bitter as gall. Love is a past time and never will pall.” The song seemed indicate the tragedy of their love story in the end, but “love never will pall”, which was just the belief ----love is eternal and love never ends that the film wanted to convey. And when I heard the song, I thought about another poem When You Are Old composed by William Butler Yeats."How many loved your moments of glad grace, and loved your beauty with love false or true. But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, and loved the sorrows of your changing face". What a love! When a rose fade, youth is gone, I am still following you with my eternal love for you.
In the end of the film, the two fortune's fools chose death to show their faithful love. Even they were not accepted by others or by the wild society, they still followed love and never minded ending their lives. Nothing could divide them. Yes, they died. But they died together with love. The eternal love shone on them, and was telling the truth to all: love never ends!
View more about Romeo and Juliet reviews
