Search - Romeo and Juliet on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Suitable for Teens Movie Release: 1968 DVD Release: 05/23/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 18 mins Studio: Paramount Members Wishing: 21 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama, Tragedy See Also: Romeo and Juliet [Circuit City Exclusive] [Checkpoint]

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

Olivia Hussey - Juliet
Leonard Whiting - Romeo
Milo O'Shea - Friar Laurence
Michael York - Tybalt
John McEnery - Mercutio

Franco Zeffirelli's successful cinematic adaptation of Romeo & Juliet comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The closed-captioned English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include the theatrical trailer. This is an acceptable, but less than spectacular release from Paramount. Considering this is one of the most successful Shakespearean adaptations of all time, it is a shame Paramount did not take the chance to educate more people about the Bard with the extras. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide