Romeo and Juliet (1968)
- Starring:
- Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, (more)
- Director(s):
- Franco Zeffirelli
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG
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Director Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was touted at the time of its release (successfully, if the box-office receipts are any indication), as something of a "youth trip" movie. This is because Zeffirelli broke the long-standing tradition of casting over-aged, sometimes grey-haired players in the title roles. Seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting plays Romeo, with 15-year-old Olivia Hussey as Juliet. The youthfulness and inexperience of the leading players works beautifully in the more passionate sequences (some of these breaking further ground by being played in the nude). Among the younger players are Michael York as Tybalt and John McEnery as Mercutio. The duel between Romeo and Tybalt starts out as a harmless, frat-boy exchange of insults, then escalates into tragedy before any of the participants are fully aware of what has happened. Photographed by Pasqualino DeSantis on various locations in Italy, Romeo and Juliet was one of the most profitable film adaptations of Shakespeare ever produced. Its most lasting legacy is its popular main theme music, composed by Nino Rota. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 138 mins
Complete Cast:
- Olivia Hussey - Juliet
- Milo O'Shea - Friar Laurence
- John McEnery - Mercutio
- Natasha Parry - Lady Capulet
- Keith Skinner - Balthazar
- Dyson Lovell - Sampson
- Bruce Robinson - Benvolio
- Antonio Pierfederici - Lord Montague
- Roberto Bisacco - Count Paris
- Aldo Miranda - Friar John
- Laurence Olivier - Narrator of Prologue
- Leonard Whiting - Romeo
- Michael York - Tybalt
- Pat Heywood - The Nurse
- Robert Stephens - Prince Of Verona
- Richard Warwick - Gregory
- Ugo Barbone - Abraham
- Paul Hardwick - Lord Capulet
- Esmeralda Ruspoli - Lady Montague
- Roy Holder - Peter
- Dario Tanzini - Page to Tybalt
- Murray Head - The Chorus
- Director(s):
- Franco Zeffirelli
- Writer(s):
- Franco Brusati, Franco Zeffirelli, Masolino D'Amico
- Producer(s):
- Lord John Brabourne, Anthony Havelock-Allan
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG(Suitable for Teens, Mild Violence, Adult Situations)
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1968 - Romeo and Juliet - Golden Globe - Best Foreign Film - English Language
- 1968 - Romeo and Juliet - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Foreign Film - English Language
- 1968 - Romeo and Juliet - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - New Star of the Year - Male
- 1968 - Romeo and Juliet - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - New Star of the Year - Female
- 1968 - Romeo and Juliet - National Board of Review - Best Director
