They rewrote Shakespeare! - Romeo & Juliet Discussion

[–] applecounts 11 years ago

Yes unfortunately it is. Shakespeare is poetic, but they changed that with this movie.

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[–] charlesfernandez515 11 years ago

Actually during the Tybalt Romeo fight none of the dialogue was even the dumbed down version of Shakespeare it was just completely made up.

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[–] applecounts 11 years ago

And that is why I never watched this movie. I couldn't even watch the full trailer without exiting the video, I got as far as the "violent passions" line, because the actual line is one of my favorites.

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[–] PJ-Harley 11 years ago

I felt the same when i saw the Leo and Claire version.

"I'm not crazy M'Lynn, I've just been in a very bad mood for forty years"

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[–] applecounts 11 years ago

The Romeo+Juliet was actually a modren (for that time) version of Romeo and Juliet

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[–] jacowium 11 years ago

Shakespeare's text was kept intact in Luhrman's production. (Only a few non-essential passages from Shakespeare's full text were omitted). How is that "dumbing down" Shakespeare?

Big difference was, it was portrayed in a 1990's environment and culture, filmed in Mexico. Still, an interesting project for literature students to study.

Please click on "reply" at the post you're responding to. Thanks.

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[–] BridgetB 10 years ago

I really enjoyed Lurhmann's film. His art direction was beautifully gaudy & his musical numbers were modern--& gaudy! But he didn't think he could write better than Shakespeare. I first saw it in a packed theater & the whole audience "got" it....

Downton Abbey has a lovely setting & some fine performances, but the writing is often lame. Blame Lord Fellowes....

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[–] billyparker 11 years ago

"They" didn't--Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, aristocratic wannabe) did. He is an idiot.

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[–] cryptotek 11 years ago

Unfortunately, Hollywood thinks so.
That was the first thing that jarred me - right out the gate they wrote a new opening, and changed most of the dialogue in the first real scene; "Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?" "At you, sir? Oh no sir. But I do bite my thumb sir!"

Zefferelli's '69 version is the gold standard, even with the gratuitous (but tastefully filmed) nude scene.

In the play Romeo and Juliette never get a chance to consummate the marriage - Romeo gets into a fight with Tybalt right after his wedding and has to flee the city.

Very nice costumes, though.

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[–] Maravilla 11 years ago

In the play, it is strongly implied that Romeo and Juliet consummate the marriage. See Act III, Scenes 2, 3, and 5. It happens after Romeo learns he is banished for killing Tybalt and right before he actually leaves Verona.

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[–] gin-luc 10 years ago

I think it's part of the reason that The Nurse advises Juliet to marry Paris - on the off-chance that she had gotten pregnant on her wedding night, a 'quickie' wedding to Paris would prevent scandal.

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[–] MydnightRose 10 years ago

I love the new dialogue mixed with the old. I've read this play numerous times and seen numerous movies but I kept wondering why I had a better understanding of what was being said; usually I have to go through scenes at least 3x to get a good grasp of it.

Brian Kinney & Justin Taylor

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[–] LukeLovesFilm28 11 years ago

What is wrong with you people and nude scenes?

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[–] liuzhou 10 years ago

I suggest you read the play again.

After killing Tybalt, Romeo spends the night with Juliet (aided by J's Nurse). While we don't get the full throbbing details, it is quite clear the marriage is consummated.

The morning after is when Juliet gives her beautiful "Nightingale/Lark" speech.

I agree, though that Zefferelli's version is the one to go for.

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[–] arcticcarrot 11 years ago

I was shocked by how much this film felt a need to talk down to its audience. I wrote an in-depth review, act by act, scene by scene, of how the film deviates from the play, and why each time it does it's the wrong choice. For those who are interested, my review can be found on my Mostly Shakespeare blog: http://michaeldohertyspersonallibrary.blogspot.com/2014/05/romeo-juliet-2013-dvd-review.html

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[–] Yorick_Brown 10 years ago

What are you talking about? They kept the same sequence of events and dialogue.

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

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[–] carolyn297 10 years ago

Oh who cares if they rewrote Shakespeare. They left an awful lot in. Kenneth Branagh cut out lots of dialogue for Henry V and I loved it. It's just a different take on the play. Companies update Shakespeare all the time in different ways, stop being so precious. You can still go and see your original plot if you take yourself off to the Globe or the National.

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[–] billyparker 10 years ago

Carolyn, did you see this streak of piss? There's quite a vast different between cutting lines of dialogue and this lobotomy.

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[–] pp312 9 years ago

"Carolyn, did you see this streak of piss?"

You know, that almost sounds like Shakespeare.

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[–] nebogipfel67 8 years ago

Oh who cares if they rewrote Shakespeare. They left an awful lot in. Kenneth Branagh cut out lots of dialogue for Henry V and I loved it. It's just a different take on the play. Companies update Shakespeare all the time in different ways, stop being so precious. You can still go and see your original plot if you take yourself off to the Globe or the National.

It's one thing to cut dialogue for time, or to cut the lame 400 year old jokes about "French crowns," it's another thing to rewrite Shakespeare. I'm not as outraged about that as some people are, because there are many many versions of Romeo and Juliet available. There is room for this dumbed-down DVD, but people should certainly be aware of what it is.

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[–] blindvias-071407 10 years ago

I didn't see it as dumbing down the play as much as one film's attempt at being a unique and special approach to adapting a play that comes to film once again. However, I didn't find the approach too special.

Truly unique examples that I enjoyed more than this film are Romeo + Juliet (DiCaprio) and Private Romeo.

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[–] Jeff-The-God-Of-Biscuits 8 years ago

You need to have your head pretty far up your own arse to read Shakespeare and think "this is a decent first draft, I can turn this into something great"

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