This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

A Major Disappointment

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The famous director Franco Zeffirelli,two Oscars and one Golden Globe nominated ,Emmy and BAFTA winner,gave life to the William Shakespeare's tragedy,published in 1597. Considered by many critics The best screening of the classic love story between Romeo and Juliet ,the Zeffirelli's movie won two Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design and three Golden Globe for Best English-Language Foreign Film, Most Promising Newcomer - Female(Olivia Hussey) and Most Promising Newcomer - Male(Leonard Whiting). The Zeffirelli's masterpiece transpose the tragedy of Shakespeare on the big screens,in an amazing way,just like the original story.Look what Florin Potra (Romanian) says: Choosing Romeo and Juliet at the age which we find in the book[..]. At the end of the movie,we know that we saw a good one,that transpose amazing the thrilling love story,contoured by love and hate.

It took about five centuries for Shakespeare's signature play about young love to be filmed with teen lovers as Shakespeare wrote it. When Franco Zeffirelli got around to doing it as such it put all previous versions to shame. As good as MGM's version back in the studio system days with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, they now look arcane when viewing it today, taking nothing away from them as players.Of course this is hard casting. You have to have extraordinarily good actors and charismatic at that for the big screen. What Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey didn't have in experience they make up for in charisma. And being British they're trained in the classics at an early age. This film also gave a first big break for Michael York as Tybalt, a part that requires a lot of passion. You don't get more passionate than Basil Rathbone did in the Howard-Shearer version. But he's as arcane with the rest. York took it down a note or two and played him like a bully. I got the impression that York would be looking for fights if the Montagues and Capulets were bosom buddies.Back in Master Will Shakespeare's day all the parts in the theater were men and there sure was no such thing as typecasting. As we got more sophisticated we demanded more. What Franco Zeffirelli did was now narrow it so that juveniles would be playing juveniles or at somewhat believable kids like the players at Beverly Hills 90210 in their 20s playing high school kids.Romeo And Juliet got Oscars for cinematography and costume design and got a nomination for Best Picture and Franco Zeffirelli for Best director. Almost 50 years later it is still an impressive achievement.

I was 14 years old when this film came out, and sat in the theater all day (ah, remember back when you could do that and not have to pay to see the film again?) with a friend from school, and we just cried and cried. That night I dreamed the whole film again! It was one of the first movies I purchased on video, and I have seen it way too many times to count. It truly remains timeless-- the cinematography is beautiful, the cast delivers across the board, and it never looks dated, even now. The brilliant move of using actors who were actually close in age to the characters they played makes this film work like no other adaptation. One of the best films ever...

When the now-famous "star-crossed lovers" of two feuding families meet, forbidden love ensues.Film critic Roger Ebert has written: "I believe Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is the most exciting film of Shakespeare ever made". I don't know about that sentiment, but it certainly is the best version of the story ever filmed. I mean, you can say some great things about the Leonardo DiCaprio version, and some might appreciate "Tromeo and Juliet", but this really captures the story...This makes a great breakout role for Olivia Hussey (who never got as big as she should have). But also, who plays the monk? I absolutely loved his character, and it is a role that I think goes largely unnoticed in most variations.