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Hundreds of years after his time, William Shakespeare still has a rabid fan base. If we’re completely honest, though, some of his work can, at times, be a bit tricky to follow. Still, that doesn’t mean that director Carlo Carlei’s reworking of Romeo & Juliet was a good idea.
The latest version of Romeo and Juliet retells the tale of Shakespeare’s classic couple—with a few twists. Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth play the star-crossed lovers, who fall madly in love despite their families’ bitter rivalry—and, with help from her nurse (Lesley Manville) and a kindly friar (Paul Giamatti), plan to get married before Juliet is forced to marry another man.
This new Romeo & Juliet gives new meaning to the term “Shakespearian tragedy.” To be fair, its heart is in the right place. The idea was to make a Shakespearian classic more accessible for the Twilight generation. Using some of Shakespeare’s original story, along with some added parts that were written to sound like Shakespeare, it sets out to be a kind of “Shakespeare for Beginners.” And, as a former English major who generally found Shakespeare’s plays to be more frustrating than fascinating, I can appreciate the thought. Unfortunately, though, the execution is just a mess.
You don’t have to be a literary purist to find the reworked story off-putting. From the beginning, it’s clear that something is just a little bit off—and some of the story choices are downright perplexing. It seems as though the changes to the story were made at random—and, often, they don’t help the story in any way. Some of the lines, meanwhile, feel entirely out of place—and they just sound silly in the middle of what’s supposed to be a somewhat authentic-feeling Shakespearian adaptation.
Still, screenwriter Julian Fellowes isn’t to blame for all of the film’s problems. While Hailee Steinfeld was wonderful in 2010’s True Grit—and she makes an adorable Juliet—she could have used some extra coaching. It’s often painfully clear that she has no idea what she’s saying, and it feels as though she’s simply rushing through a recitation instead of delivering classic Shakespearian lines. The balcony scene, in particular, will make any Shakespeare enthusiast weep—for all the wrong reasons.
Other performances seem completely ridiculous, too—especially Ed Westwick’s laughably sinister Tybalt—but Paul Giamatti gives the film just the slightest bit of entertainment value as the plotting priest who seems about as tired of Romeo’s whining as audiences will be.
If there’s one thing to be said for the film, however, it’s that it was beautifully set. While very little effort may have gone into making the film feel authentic, the gorgeous Italian villas and abbeys certainly make it look authentic.
Of course, if you just want to see some of the sights of old Italy, I’m sure you can find plenty of tourist videos at your local library. And if you want to watch Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, there are plenty of other—better—versions available. So there’s really no need to seek out this ill-advised altered adaptation.
Blu-ray Review:
If you’re interested in learning more about this Shakespearian adaptation, take a look at the extras found on the film’s Blu-ray release. The four short making-of featurettes explore everything from the cast and crew to the hair and makeup. The Filmmaker’s Vision also touches on the gorgeous Renaissance setting, while Creating the Look offers a brief look at the approximately 800 costumes used in the film.
If you enjoyed Carlei’s version of Romeo & Juliet, the extras are worth a look. They give just a little bit of insight into the project without going too in-depth—and, as an added bonus, actor Damian Lewis (who plays Lord Capulet) adds a little bit of entertainment value, too.
