ROMEO AND JULIET: Blu-ray (Paramount, 1968) Criterion
I have read varying reports to
suggest director, Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and
Juliet (1968) to either irrefutably be the greatest of them all, or merely
a slim ghost flower whose saving grace remains its casting of two teenagers –
Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting – to actually play the ill-fated teens in
this coming-of-age romantic tragedy. Somewhere between these polar assessments
lies the truth, though I have always personally appreciated the 1936 MGM effort
more, not the least for its studio-bound ersatz glamor and a more earnest
reading of the principle parts, because they were played by actors, Leslie
Howard (age 45) and Norma Shearer (age 34), far too old, but with a truly
sincere grasp on the emotional ballast in the bard’s literary prose. At age 17,
Hussey gives a generally nuanced interpretation of Juliet’s passion for Romeo.
Alas, Whiting – one year her senior – is about five-years too stunted in his
own adolescence to actually get that our Romeo wants far more from his Juliet
than a romp in the sack.
Addressing the elephant in the
room: in most recent times, the picture’s reputation has been questionably
sullied by a bizarre $500 million lawsuit perpetuated by its two, then, pubescent
leads (now ages 71 and 72 respectively), each claiming Zeffirelli tricked them
into appearing in the raw for their cosseted love scene. It is more than a bit
of a slog to take this suit, and its claim of mental anguish and lost job
opportunities seriously (especially since Hussey had a pretty lucrative career
after this movie) – first, because its one-time stars have waited so long to
launch into their faux indignation, and second, because Zeffirelli and the
picture have enjoyed such untainted renown for so long. In the more liberated
sixties, Zeffirelli’s daring was praised. As late as 2018, Hussey herself told reporters
her brief nude scene ‘wasn’t a big deal!’ What precisely occurred to
change the actress’ mind since remains open for discussion. Interesting,
though, that she would have waited until Zeffirelli’s death (he died in 2019)
to file her claim – easier, I suppose, when the man cannot defend himself.
As for the ‘unguarded moment’ in
the picture, it contains all of a brief flash of Whiting’s butt-crack as he
gets out of bed to part the drapes and take in the dawn, followed by Juliet’s
beckoning from the bed, and after a bit of polite cuddling, Hussey rolling over
for a split-second reveal of her breasts. It all takes less than a half a
minute, during which time the costars are reciting Shakespeare’s dialogue with
a confident air of afterglow. But from this inconspicuous and tasteful reveal,
the post ‘MeToo’ critics have suddenly re-fashioned Zeffirelli’s reputation as
a leering pedophile. Aside: hardly! Actually, not at all. This is not – I repeat
– NOT – a testament or affirmation that Zeffirelli got his rocks off flying a
moment of kiddie porn under the laissez faire radar of the sixties. Those who believe
as much really do need to give their heads a shake over their artificially
engorged moral indignation. If the courts decide in favor of Hussey and
Whiting, it will not only set a legal precedent but, in fact, skew more towards
the hype and hyperbole associated with this filing, rather than validate in any
meaningful way the truth of what actually occurred on the set back in 1968. We’ll
see. But I digress.
For those who do not already know
the ill-fated tale of Romeo and Juliet, it involves the star-crossed virgins
of two households – the Montagues and the Capulets – bitterly locked in a
longstanding feud. These clans break into a vicious street brawl, parted by Verona’s
Prince (Robert Stephens), who forewarns future altercations will be met with severe
reparations. That same night, Romeo (Montague) meets Juliet (Capulet) on the
sly during a masked ball given at the latter’s family estate. Romeo sneaks into
Juliet’s private garden, wooing her as she preens on her balcony. Secretly wed
the following day by Romeo's confessor, Friar Laurence (Milo O’Shea), with the
complicity of Juliet's nurse (Pat Heywood), the couple retreat to the relative
safety of their families’ homes. Unknowing of their union, Juliet's cousin
Tybalt (Michael York), furious over Romeo crashing the ball, challenges him to
a duel. As Tybalt is now ‘family’, Romeo refuses to fight him, leading his noble
friend, Mercutio (John McEnery) accepting the wager in his stead. Despite his
best efforts to thwart this conflict, Tybalt mortally wounds Mercutio, who
curses both houses before expiring. Enraged, Romeo retaliates, killing Tybalt. Banished
from Verona by the Prince, Romeo nevertheless manages to spend a wedding night
with his bride before skulking away.
Unaware that the bloom of their
daughter has been rubbed off, Juliet’s parents arrange for her to wed Count
Paris (Robert Bisacco). Unable to convince them to postpone the wedding, Juliet
implores Fria Laurence to intercede on her behalf. Instead, the wily Friar
concocts a deception that will prove all of their unravelling. He gives Juliet
a potion to consume that will feign the impression she has died. After her
burial, Laurence will send Friar John to collect Romeo, henceforth to liberate his
bride from her tomb as she awakens from her drugged stupor. All goes well at
the outset. Juliet succumbs to the potion and her parents believe in her death.
Alas, Friar John never arrives with word of the ruse. In total despair, Romeo
attends Juliet in her tomb, committing suicide by drinking poison – certain,
their spirits will be reunited in the netherworld upon his death. Meanwhile,
awakening from her imposed slumber and finding her lover lying close by, Juliet
reasons there is no place on earth left for her. She plunges a dagger into her
bosom and dies nearest her lover’s remains. Afterward, the Montegues and
Capulets reconcile. Nevertheless, their truce is admonished by the Prince, who
cannot help but acknowledge how their blind-sided blood feud has contributed to
the needless sacrifice of two innocent lives.
Shot silent – with virtually all
dialogue, music and effects post-synced in the dubbing process – and costing
$850,000, Romeo and Juliet was hailed as a masterpiece in its time,
considered by far the most engaging cinematic adaptation of any Shakespearean
play. Zeffirelli conducted a fairly aggressive search to find the perfect
actors to fill these roles. Rumor has it Paul McCartney and Anjelica Huston
were early frontrunners. Trimming considerable girth from Shakespeare’s more
trying speeches, while also to leave several moments of the play – already shot
– on the cutting room floor, Zeffirelli’s tightening of the drama and action
relied mostly on reaction shots to fill in these gaps. It works, even if it isn’t
‘strictly’ the play. Zeffirelli also stumbled upon the participation of Sir Laurence
Olivier who, already in Rome to shoot The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968),
offered up his services for any additional work Zeffirelli might need to
complete his movie. In reply, Zeffirelli not only gave Olivier the prologue to
recite, but rather indiscriminately had him dub for Lord Montague and several
other minor roles. The picture was shot primarily in Tuscania, Pienza, Gubbio,
and Artena, with virtually all interiors lensed at Rome’s famed Cinecittà.
Viewed today, this version of Romeo
and Juliet is still quite effective, if tame. It’s best moments spring
forth from the perpetual conflict between the dueling households. The famed
balcony scene also hits its mark, with Hussey in particular, exuding all of the
lust and longing of her alter ego as she stretches forth to reach for the hand
of her beloved. Nino Rota’s sensitive score, Pasqualino De Santis’
cinematography, and, Danilo Donati’s gorgeous costuming conspire to recapture
the glory of 14th century Renaissance Italy (the latter two, winning
Academy Awards). If anything, the picture retains a certain air of freshness,
unusual and apart from the usual embalming of Shakespeare’s stagecraft on the
screen. Is it the best cinematic adaptation of any Shakespearean play ever put
on film? I would sincerely argue it runs a distant third to Kenneth Branagh’s
exemplars – 1996’s Hamlet and 1989’s Henry V. That said, there is certainly nothing wrong
with being the bronze-medal winner. And Zeffirelli’s reputation as a picture-maker
and story-teller par excellence, truly, has nothing to be ashamed of here.
It's more than a little off-putting
of Criterion to release a tale about two teenagers committing suicide for love on
Valentine’s Day. But no one can quibble over the quality of this new 4K
restoration, except that it’s only getting released in 1080p. There is some
residual softness to plague the titles and first reel. But afterwards, the
image decidedly crisps up, achieving boldly saturated colors, with excellent
overall contrast and a light smattering of grain looking indigenous to its
source. Criterion’s PCM mono adequately supports the original theatrical sound
mix. There’s nothing exceptional here, but it is solid nonetheless. Criterion
is decidedly thin on the extras. We get barely a 5-min. excerpt from the 2018
feature-length documentary on Zeffirelli. Why the rest remains MIA is a
curiosity. There is also 2 archival interviews with Whiting and Hussey,
conducted by the BFI in 1967, and a Q&A from 2016, also with the co-stars,
as they appeared for a prestige screening in Santa Monica. Finally, a trailer
and liner notes from scholar, Ramona Wray. Ho-hum. The beat goes on. Bottom
line: the lawsuit notwithstanding, Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet marks a
considerable achievement in screen adaptations of Shakespeare. There is much
room for praise here, and little to suggest what became of its co-stars
thereafter is now worth a half-a-billion dollars in reparations for emotional
distress. Oh, please!
FILM RATING (out
of 5 – 5 being the best)
4
VIDEO/AUDIO
4.5
EXTRAS
1
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