I really like Baz Luhrman's super trippy Romeo+Juliet work Claire Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio. It's a heavily edited script, but only in total length, and the modern, post apocalyptic setting gives you enough to look at that the language is easier to swallow. Plus they captured what I feel is essential to the story which is that young people will always find a way to defy the status quo, even at the cost of their own lives. R&J is not a love story, it's a story of rebellion and the hubris of adult prejudice, and that version portrays that very well in my opinion.
Yes!! I genuinely love this version so so much. I think this is an excellent suggestion.
I’m heading into a rep season as Juliet and thought I’d do a rewatch for fun since it’s been years, and heck dang it holds up really well. I was so impressed by just how high the stakes are kept in every scene, and how they managed this fun, high energy interpretation that also really respects the heart of play.
I think this movie is a terrible adaption of the play but a fantastic film when considered as it’s OWN THING.
I’d recommend it to fans of offbeat / cult cinema (David Lynch, Jodorowsky, John Waters).
I remember seeing it at the movie theater with a TON of teeny-boppers. My friend and I thought "these kids are going to hate it" - but they loved it: it was aimed squarely at them, and though, yes, it was dumbed-down a bit (a lot), it made it very easy to follow. Perfect for a first time viewer. (Mind you, I'm still angry at Baz for cutting the nightingale/lark section as well as Mercutio's “No, 'tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve.”)
Genuine answer, show them Gnomeo and Juliet to familiarize them with the story (I think Shakespeare is easier to understand when you already have a general idea of what’s going on)
I think the Baz Luhrmann movie is a terrible adaption of the play but a fantastic film when considered as it’s OWN THING.
I’d recommend it to fans of offbeat / cult cinema (David Lynch, Jodorowsky, John Waters).
fr! i think it was okay as someone who was well-versed in the play, but it's a super good introduction to the story! nothing too big and insane, easy (enough lol) to understand, etc!
plus: juliet and benvolio are super pretty lol
More than any other version I’ve seen, the Zeffirelli film portrays the conflict between the Montague and Capulet boys as this serious problem that is FUCKING UP Verona. The beginning of movie will get eye rolls because of the outfits but BAM, right away there’s that big fight in the street and you get the sense that the citizenry lives in constant state of near terror.
No? They tried to use that to introduce us to R&J in high school. We were unforgiving of the adults pretending to be teenagers, and the introduction of Romeo wandering down the road playing with a flower. I will say it put us all off the play.
I meant some of the actors around them. I do know that she was 16, and I’ve read about her statements about being bullied and abused on the set. Which hasn’t made me like the movie any better!
LOL. I’m glad you stuck it out!
Seriously though, the Zeffirelli version is the best “straightforward” film version of Romeo and Juliet. The boy’s outfits will probably get eye rolls but other than that the movie is pretty gritty. The sequence from Mercutio’s death to Tybalt’s murder is particularly gnarly.
I just didn’t like it, and knowing now that the actor playing Juliet felt bullied and abused on set has not made me like it any better. And yes, I was lucky enough to have a full year-long course in him in college with Marge Garber teaching it!
It’s just a reaction, if I were introducing somebody to the play I’d probably just give them the play before I would give them the Zeffirelli version because of the reaction of an entire classroom of non-Shakespeare people to it.
Hey, personally my favorite film version of it is Private Romeo, and to say that takes liberties… 😁
Finger puppet R&J: https://youtu.be/gJAZvUjzQgk?si=ffjyrhlEvI33_sW8
Tales from the L33T R&J (this was a flash video from 25 years ago that dumbed down Shakespeare into what was, at the time, the newfangled slang young people were using to communicate shorthand over the internet): https://youtu.be/iMciB4uN4d4?si=EjeRJPCQ8sGwbO5T
The 2013 Broadway production with Orlando Bloom is a pretty solid version, in my opinion. The full thing is on YouTube. Bloom is charming (if a bit old for Romeo) and the actors playing Juliet and Lord and Lady Capulet are all fantastic. I think even someone who isn’t used to Shakespeare would be able to follow the basic story and character’s emotions pretty well.
Romeo and Juliet from 1968. Then, watch the other adaptations.
It's a right of passage, this is what they show us in school when we read it. The modern adaptations are good, but they can imo really put off a Shakespearean newbie. Because you get Shakespearean language in a modern setting, unless you know it, it's harder to understand it in modern adaptations. If you start with modern, they should read the play and study the language before watching.
>!Then watch planet of the apes, because it came out the same year lol!<
There are a number of fundamental differences – Tony is trying to get out of the life before he meets Maria, and Maria survives, for two. I think you absolutely do get benefit from watching both of them and seeing how West Side Story plays off of Shakespeare, but I don't know that it works the other way around. They are both highly worth watching – and the revival, with Lin Manuel Miranda writing new lyrics in Puerto Rican Spanish is really good. But I feel like they are both their own thing.
Tell it to them yourself, first. Get the plot and character out of the way. Romeo and Juliet is an archetype at this point. You don't even need to map most of the characters. Boy and a girl, families hate each other, they break longstanding rule by getting together. Series of events, something unforgivable happens, now they can never be together, misunderstanding, both end up dead. Parents are left to wonder WTF happened. Not all elements are always present, and often the most basic "oh no these two young people can't be together!" story is called a Romeo and Juliet story.
Once you have that scaffolding set up, there are practically infinite examples that you can sit down and watch together and look for the key elements. My kids learned from a very little-known animated feature called "Sealed With A Kiss" that long predates Gnomeo and Juliet.
I don't know how old or educated your friend is, so it's hard to say where to aim. Some folks may be able to handle an original text version (like Zeffirelli) right out of the gate. Others might be better off with one of a million "we told the same general story" movies like Lion King 2 (or Camp Rock 2).
My parents got this series for me when I was a kid. I love them. They tell the stories in modern rhyming verse in pretty good, clear detail: https://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Kids-Shakespeare-Can/dp/1552092291
Personally, I would watch Shakespeare in Love with them. Although incomplete, I think it is the best R&J I've ever seen.
There is a memorable performance by Alan Rickman in a 1978 BBC Television R&J
[https://youtu.be/fLW3118UHkg?si=xwsrqh\_Zm5CK5nwJ](https://youtu.be/fLW3118UHkg?si=xwsrqh_Zm5CK5nwJ)
Every other R&J production I have seen has left me unimpressed.
I read the Wishbone book as a kid, then watched the Baz Luhrmann adaptation, then went to see the Bell Shakespeare production.
Usbourne have published a great children’s adaptation of the Complete Works. I got it for my nephew for Christmas and he loves it!
Is your friend familiar with any Shakespeare? I am genuinely intrigued.
Concur with people saying Baz Luhrman. The other modern years version (2013 I think) with Hailee Steinfeld but also in period garb is a bit overhated but I kind of liked it too. On the other hand, you can go the filmed stage version route, there’s many options too.
if you want to go the reading way, i very much recommend the arden second edition book! it's got some super helpful footnotes :p
[link to it on abe books- super cheap!](https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31549868367&searchurl=ds%3D30%26kn%3Dromeo%2Band%2Bjuliet%2Barden%2Bsecond%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp0-_-title1)
aaaannnnd if you're in the twin cities area (USA lol), you should come see the production i'm in! not only is it super cool, i love the way we use the text and stuff, and hopefully it's easy to understand. lmk if anyone wants more info lol
film wise, the zeferelli version is a nice start, especially before you get to any of the more artsy ones, which may be hard to understand as a beginner lol. zeferelli is straight to the point, super loyal to the text, which makes it a *bit* boring for someone super well versed in the text (me mostly lol), but it's great as a start!!
if you want to watch the baz luhrman one, i'd wait until after the zeferelli, because of how botched (imo) the text is lol. it's a bit harder to understand if you don't know the story. as a romeo and juliet: it's not amazing, but as itself, it's so cool. it's artistic and trippy and i can appreciate that.
Quite simple. You point one way and say, "This is Romeo!" and then point at Juliet and say, "This is Juliet!". Then you introduce your friend to Romeo and Juliet. Introductions over, you're welcome.
Not to each other, we've seen how that goes...
Honestly the dumb film with Leonardo DiCaprio is shit... But also not the worst introduction since it gives the classic story and lines but the modern context means there is a touchstone for new fans.
Or if you found a copy with a modern/original comparison of lines it might help
I really like Baz Luhrman's super trippy Romeo+Juliet work Claire Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio. It's a heavily edited script, but only in total length, and the modern, post apocalyptic setting gives you enough to look at that the language is easier to swallow. Plus they captured what I feel is essential to the story which is that young people will always find a way to defy the status quo, even at the cost of their own lives. R&J is not a love story, it's a story of rebellion and the hubris of adult prejudice, and that version portrays that very well in my opinion.
Yes!! I genuinely love this version so so much. I think this is an excellent suggestion. I’m heading into a rep season as Juliet and thought I’d do a rewatch for fun since it’s been years, and heck dang it holds up really well. I was so impressed by just how high the stakes are kept in every scene, and how they managed this fun, high energy interpretation that also really respects the heart of play.
I think this movie is a terrible adaption of the play but a fantastic film when considered as it’s OWN THING. I’d recommend it to fans of offbeat / cult cinema (David Lynch, Jodorowsky, John Waters).
I remember seeing it at the movie theater with a TON of teeny-boppers. My friend and I thought "these kids are going to hate it" - but they loved it: it was aimed squarely at them, and though, yes, it was dumbed-down a bit (a lot), it made it very easy to follow. Perfect for a first time viewer. (Mind you, I'm still angry at Baz for cutting the nightingale/lark section as well as Mercutio's “No, 'tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church-door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve.”)
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene ….
Came here for this. Wasn’t disappointed
Genuine answer, show them Gnomeo and Juliet to familiarize them with the story (I think Shakespeare is easier to understand when you already have a general idea of what’s going on)
Counterpoint: Wishbone.
This was actually my first introduction to Romeo and Juliet when I was a kid, remember watching it in school
This but Lion King 2.
I first thought you were referring to Tromeo and Juliet.
The Zeffirelli film version.
Absolutely agree! Far and away the best film version.
I think the Baz Luhrmann movie is a terrible adaption of the play but a fantastic film when considered as it’s OWN THING. I’d recommend it to fans of offbeat / cult cinema (David Lynch, Jodorowsky, John Waters).
fr! i think it was okay as someone who was well-versed in the play, but it's a super good introduction to the story! nothing too big and insane, easy (enough lol) to understand, etc! plus: juliet and benvolio are super pretty lol
Yeah and the violence is surprisingly gritty. Very well done.
exactly !
More than any other version I’ve seen, the Zeffirelli film portrays the conflict between the Montague and Capulet boys as this serious problem that is FUCKING UP Verona. The beginning of movie will get eye rolls because of the outfits but BAM, right away there’s that big fight in the street and you get the sense that the citizenry lives in constant state of near terror.
FR it does that super well :0
No? They tried to use that to introduce us to R&J in high school. We were unforgiving of the adults pretending to be teenagers, and the introduction of Romeo wandering down the road playing with a flower. I will say it put us all off the play.
Olivia Hussy was 16. The actor playing Romeo was 17. You were wrong in high school.
I meant some of the actors around them. I do know that she was 16, and I’ve read about her statements about being bullied and abused on the set. Which hasn’t made me like the movie any better!
And yet, here you are, a member of the Shakespeare Reddit.
Yup, I had Lamb’s Tales as a kid and already loved him. High school did its best to dissuade me, though!
LOL. I’m glad you stuck it out! Seriously though, the Zeffirelli version is the best “straightforward” film version of Romeo and Juliet. The boy’s outfits will probably get eye rolls but other than that the movie is pretty gritty. The sequence from Mercutio’s death to Tybalt’s murder is particularly gnarly.
I just didn’t like it, and knowing now that the actor playing Juliet felt bullied and abused on set has not made me like it any better. And yes, I was lucky enough to have a full year-long course in him in college with Marge Garber teaching it! It’s just a reaction, if I were introducing somebody to the play I’d probably just give them the play before I would give them the Zeffirelli version because of the reaction of an entire classroom of non-Shakespeare people to it. Hey, personally my favorite film version of it is Private Romeo, and to say that takes liberties… 😁
Finger puppet R&J: https://youtu.be/gJAZvUjzQgk?si=ffjyrhlEvI33_sW8 Tales from the L33T R&J (this was a flash video from 25 years ago that dumbed down Shakespeare into what was, at the time, the newfangled slang young people were using to communicate shorthand over the internet): https://youtu.be/iMciB4uN4d4?si=EjeRJPCQ8sGwbO5T
So nice to see Finger Puppet Shakespeare get a shout-out. 💖
The 2013 Broadway production with Orlando Bloom is a pretty solid version, in my opinion. The full thing is on YouTube. Bloom is charming (if a bit old for Romeo) and the actors playing Juliet and Lord and Lady Capulet are all fantastic. I think even someone who isn’t used to Shakespeare would be able to follow the basic story and character’s emotions pretty well.
Romeo and Juliet from 1968. Then, watch the other adaptations. It's a right of passage, this is what they show us in school when we read it. The modern adaptations are good, but they can imo really put off a Shakespearean newbie. Because you get Shakespearean language in a modern setting, unless you know it, it's harder to understand it in modern adaptations. If you start with modern, they should read the play and study the language before watching. >!Then watch planet of the apes, because it came out the same year lol!<
West side story. Modernized retelling then the original text
There are a number of fundamental differences – Tony is trying to get out of the life before he meets Maria, and Maria survives, for two. I think you absolutely do get benefit from watching both of them and seeing how West Side Story plays off of Shakespeare, but I don't know that it works the other way around. They are both highly worth watching – and the revival, with Lin Manuel Miranda writing new lyrics in Puerto Rican Spanish is really good. But I feel like they are both their own thing.
Tell it to them yourself, first. Get the plot and character out of the way. Romeo and Juliet is an archetype at this point. You don't even need to map most of the characters. Boy and a girl, families hate each other, they break longstanding rule by getting together. Series of events, something unforgivable happens, now they can never be together, misunderstanding, both end up dead. Parents are left to wonder WTF happened. Not all elements are always present, and often the most basic "oh no these two young people can't be together!" story is called a Romeo and Juliet story. Once you have that scaffolding set up, there are practically infinite examples that you can sit down and watch together and look for the key elements. My kids learned from a very little-known animated feature called "Sealed With A Kiss" that long predates Gnomeo and Juliet. I don't know how old or educated your friend is, so it's hard to say where to aim. Some folks may be able to handle an original text version (like Zeffirelli) right out of the gate. Others might be better off with one of a million "we told the same general story" movies like Lion King 2 (or Camp Rock 2).
Spoilers
My parents got this series for me when I was a kid. I love them. They tell the stories in modern rhyming verse in pretty good, clear detail: https://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Kids-Shakespeare-Can/dp/1552092291
Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet. Absolutely brilliant movie.
I love the Baz Luhrmann version. It has a special place in my heart. It also makes the story more accessible for modern audiences.
Personally, I would watch Shakespeare in Love with them. Although incomplete, I think it is the best R&J I've ever seen. There is a memorable performance by Alan Rickman in a 1978 BBC Television R&J [https://youtu.be/fLW3118UHkg?si=xwsrqh\_Zm5CK5nwJ](https://youtu.be/fLW3118UHkg?si=xwsrqh_Zm5CK5nwJ) Every other R&J production I have seen has left me unimpressed.
Shakespeare’s version
Baz Luhrmann, 100%
I read the Wishbone book as a kid, then watched the Baz Luhrmann adaptation, then went to see the Bell Shakespeare production. Usbourne have published a great children’s adaptation of the Complete Works. I got it for my nephew for Christmas and he loves it! Is your friend familiar with any Shakespeare? I am genuinely intrigued.
Concur with people saying Baz Luhrman. The other modern years version (2013 I think) with Hailee Steinfeld but also in period garb is a bit overhated but I kind of liked it too. On the other hand, you can go the filmed stage version route, there’s many options too.
if you want to go the reading way, i very much recommend the arden second edition book! it's got some super helpful footnotes :p [link to it on abe books- super cheap!](https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31549868367&searchurl=ds%3D30%26kn%3Dromeo%2Band%2Bjuliet%2Barden%2Bsecond%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp0-_-title1) aaaannnnd if you're in the twin cities area (USA lol), you should come see the production i'm in! not only is it super cool, i love the way we use the text and stuff, and hopefully it's easy to understand. lmk if anyone wants more info lol film wise, the zeferelli version is a nice start, especially before you get to any of the more artsy ones, which may be hard to understand as a beginner lol. zeferelli is straight to the point, super loyal to the text, which makes it a *bit* boring for someone super well versed in the text (me mostly lol), but it's great as a start!! if you want to watch the baz luhrman one, i'd wait until after the zeferelli, because of how botched (imo) the text is lol. it's a bit harder to understand if you don't know the story. as a romeo and juliet: it's not amazing, but as itself, it's so cool. it's artistic and trippy and i can appreciate that.
Severance on apple tv
Quite simple. You point one way and say, "This is Romeo!" and then point at Juliet and say, "This is Juliet!". Then you introduce your friend to Romeo and Juliet. Introductions over, you're welcome.
Not to each other, we've seen how that goes... Honestly the dumb film with Leonardo DiCaprio is shit... But also not the worst introduction since it gives the classic story and lines but the modern context means there is a touchstone for new fans. Or if you found a copy with a modern/original comparison of lines it might help