Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

The lovers of Shakespeare's tragi-romance are brought to suitably quivering life by Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard in this glossy 1936 MGM take on the play. And yes, they're a tad older than the headstrong youths of Shakespeare's story (Howard was 43!), but they make up for that with sheer fervor. Shearer's performance looks like Great Lady acting at times, but she commits completely to Juliet's passion, and Howard is a delight. Basil Rathbone and Edna May Oliver are slam-dunk casting as Tybalt and the Nurse, respectively, and if John Barrymore is too weathered for Mercutio, he nevertheless works up an antic, sarcastic energy in the role. The production was supervised by MGM boy wonder Irving Thalberg (Shearer's husband), and it's an utterly lavish affair; the courtyard for the balcony scene looks exactly as expansive and studio-moon-drenched as your romantic imagination tells you it should. The film went the way of many such prestige productions: director George Cukor later said it lost a million dollars. (This was the same year he made Sylvia Scarlett, another box-office flop that has aged well.) It may be Shakespeare Lite, but the film zips along on the back of a love story that has been, to say the least, quite durable over the years. --Robert Horton

Genre: Drama, Romance
Production: Paramount Home Video
  Won 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 15 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
PG
Year:
1968/I
138
2,014 Views

Share your thoughts on Romeo and Juliet's quotes with the community:

0 Comments

    Quote of the Day Today's Quote | Archive

    Would you like us to send you a FREE inspiring quote delivered to your inbox daily?

    Please enter your email address:

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this movie page to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Romeo and Juliet Quotes." Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.quotes.net/movies/romeo_and_juliet_quotes_9715>.

    Know another quote from Romeo and Juliet?

    Don't let people miss on a great quote from the "Romeo and Juliet" movie - add it here!

    Quiz

    Are you a quotes master?

    »
    In which movie did this phrase get tattooed on someone back: "I never wish to be parted from you from this day on"?
    A Sex and Lucia
    B After We Collided
    C The Ultimate Life
    D Memento