Customer Reviews

Romeo & Juliet [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

this is a lavish, wonderful production, with a cast that is so comfortable with the language. They bring out the beauty of the words, and clarity to their meaning.

Norma Shearer, despite being more than twice Juliet's age, plays her exquisitely...I find her to be the loveliest and most graceful of the screen Juliets I've seen.
Leslie Howard, who was 42 at the time, is splendid. With his perfect musical voice and enunciation, he's a joy to watch and listen to...what a pity that he didn't film more Shakespeare...a Howard "Hamlet" (which he had a huge success with on Broadway), would have certainly been a film treasure.
Also great is John Barrymore's flamboyant Mercutio, and Edna May Oliver is my all-time favorite Nurse.

Though I think the imaginitive and slightly bizarre Baz Luhmann/Leonardo DiCaprio version is fabulous and a must-see (as is the fight scene in the Zeffirelli production !) what makes this George Cukor version so special is the poetry of the language...if you want to hear the words spoken as I'm sure Shakespeare intended, give this film a try.

It's amazing how often the legendary Irving Thalberg was allowed to make M.G.M. "prestige pictures" that produced awed reviews and spotty box-office receipts. It's even more amazing how often he required his wife, actress Norma Shearer, to star in them, to the eventual detriment of her career. As good as Shearer was, she acquired a reputation as a star of stately, dull movies made to please no one but her husband.

The notable exception to Thalberg's run of worthy Shearer failures was "Romeo and Juliet". Although it conformed to the norm by not making much money, it was a very fine film, far better than most filmed Shakespeare.

Norma was 36 when the movie was shot, and it was feared she was a bit old for the part. The problem was tackled by hiring an even older Romeo, 43-year-old Leslie Howard. The supporting cast was the best in the business- John Barrymore as Mercutio, Basil Rathbone as Tybalt, Edna May Oliver as the Nurse, Reginald Denny as Benvolio, and Violet Kemble-Cooper as Lady Capulet. George Cukor was tapped as director, and Agnes de Mille choreographed the period dance that is the highlight of the lovers' first meeting.

Production values were extraordinary, even for a Shearer movie. The creamily lit photography flattered the stars, and the props and sets were magnificent. The exterior set for the balcony scene took up all of M.G.M's Stage Sixteen, then the largest soundstage in the world; there was so much real vegetation that the building began producing its own weather. The costumes were a bit over-the-top; those for the supporting cast are highly theatrical, and the star wardrobe is intended to flatter at the expense of authenticity (Shearer's hairstyle is that of a boy of the period, not a young woman).

All the lavishness in the world would not have mattered if the cast and crew hadn't delivered, but they did. Under the tutelage of Constance Collier, Shearer turned in a touchingly tender Juliet, actually getting the best contemporary reviews of any cast member. Howard's Romeo was a bit perfunctory, but still managed a nice sense of mischief in the early scenes. Basil Rathbone's prideful Tybalt was the part he was born to play, and Oliver's Nurse crammed the maximum of bawdiness and fun into a part badly cut to comply with the demands of the censors. The surprise casting- and performance- of the film was Andy Devine as Peter, the Nurse's servant. It should have been wildly incongruous, but Devine's raspy voice and simple demeanour were perfect for the part.

Two scenes stand out in the memory. One is the stately pavane being danced when Romeo first spies Juliet. Shearer's timing and subtlety serve her well here; she interacts with her nominal dancing partner, Paris, and with Romeo on the sidelines, keeping time to the dance and losing it, sending messages of love with her eyes while her body attempts vainly to maintain an appearance of propriety.

The other is Barrymore's turn as Mercutio; it's said he was drunk during much of the filming, and that the take of his biggest scene used in the final cut was the only usable one. None of Barrymore's problems show on film; his hooting, larky performance is a miracle of comic timing and not to be missed.

The film has its small problems; no one was able to lick the story's inherent lack of action at the end, and the vitality of the film lapses into talkiness in a few later stretches. There is a lapse of judgement in one place where Romeo and Juliet kiss; the otherwise original music switches to Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet", dragging the scene into cliche. And director Cukor later bemoaned the lack of "garlic and the Mediterranean" in the film's look and feel.

It's still something very rare on film: Shakespeare that is well and respectfully adapted for the screen, accessible to any viewer, and beautifully played. Of all the versions of "Romeo and Juliet" on film, this is the one that tells the story best.

I actually saw this classic 1936 version staring Norma Shearer AFTER seeing the 1968 film with Olivia Hussey, and I have to say this one is also special in it's own way, and I would recommend it as worthy of viewing at least once. It features very beautiful sets and scenes, like the masked ball where Juilet dances as Romeo spies her the first time. Some of the acting is even better, like the role of Juliet's nurse(more believable). Although the two lead actors were in fact two old for the parts, I have read that during filming a white guaze type material was placed over the camera lens, to supposedly help mask the actors apparent ages. It's possible this may have been removed by film restorers who mistook it for distortion/age, but I'm not sure. Again If you enjoyed the 60's version, this one is close behind.

This version of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET was very famous in its day, and a number of critics that I greatly admire continue to praise it even now. But I must sound a dissenting note: although it has its charms, I personally found the film somewhat difficult to sit through due to the age of the cast. On the stage, Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers are usually played by mature actors in full command of both Shakespearean language and their own art, and the physical distance between the stage and the audience allows the cast to create the illusion of youth. But the camera is merciless, particularly in close up, and this film production presents us with the middle-aged Leslie Howard, Norma Shearer, John Barrymore, and Basil Rathbone in roles that would be better served on the screen by much younger players.

To give the cast its due, several of the stars fought tooth and nail against making the film--most notably Leslie Howard, who even went so far as give press interviews stating that he was much too old to play Romeo in a screen production. When forced into the production by contractual obligation, Howard and his counterparts gave it their all, but sad to say the camera did not lie: they were indeed too old. Although some viewers are able to suspend disbelief to accept the stars in such youthful roles, I myself could not. I found it occasionally absurd, but more often embarassing, with the famous balcony a case in point. All of this might be forgiven if the stars actually generated any sense of passion, but they do not--and it is really here that their ages tell, for instead of the white-hot passions of youth that lead to disaster we have instead a gentle love story with an unhappy ending. Still, the film really is pretty to look at--it has an engraved quality in its glossy black and white--and if you close your eyes, you can enjoy the 'grand manner' readings, which is a great deal more than one can say for most cinematic Shakespearean interpretations. There is also Edna May Oliver's performance, and she is excellent in the role of Juliet's babbling nurse.

Fans of this film's stars will no doubt wish to add it to their library, and those interested in seeing how Hollywood approached Shakespeare in the 1930s will enjoy seeing it at least once--but I would hesitate to recommend this film to any one outside that circle. Most viewers will be happier with the later Franco Zefferilli version.

Visually - this is one of the best looking black and white period films I've ever seen. The photography, costumes and sets are spectacular. Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard are too old for their roles and were not Shakespearean actors, but are better than most Hollywood actors in classical parts. It was common during this era for older actors to play these roles on stage. John Barrymore stands out from the rest. I've only seen this on VHS, but the DVD transfer should be sharp and clear.

Cynics who had expected Thalberg's version of ROMEO AND JULIET to be just an expensive indulgence for his wife were confounded. His infinite capacity for taking pains - not to mention retaking - resulted in a production of visual and verbal beauty, praised by the great majority of critics. This picture was so lavishly produced that it showed a book-keeping loss of almost 1 million dollars; but what M-G-M lost at the box-office, it gained in prestige. Although they were much too old for their roles (Howard was about 43 and Shearer 35), the acting expertise of the talented leads actually, if incredibly succeeded in making their roles believable! Strangely both Fredric March and Gable were approached for the role of Romeo; they individually baulked at the idea; Barrymore is superb as Mercutio while the rest of the supporting cast do admirable work. Norma Shearer was lauded by the critics for her portrayal of Juliet. With no stage - or Shakespearean - experience, she had studied and rehearsed for months under Constance Collier and other tutors, then gave the part an air of spontaneity and a radiance all her own. She had indispensible aid from Cukor's direction and Howard's ardent Romeo. The only discordant notes - in my opinion - came from the usually excellent Edna May Oliver and the ludicrously miscast Andy Devine (!). Mayer stayed away from the classics during the next decade!

This 1936 production of "Romeo and Juliet" was the last that Irving Thalberg saw to completion. It is certainly replete with what has become known as the "prestige" details MGM was bent on in the 30s and 40s. However, there is much more here than may meet the initial eye. Yes, John Barrymore is too old (visually) and so over-the-top that he seems to be performing in a another film (or universe). It's hedgehog acting with no subtleties whatsoever. And the production values, while grandly luxurious, represent the generic and implausible MGM splendor in all its redolence.

Still, there is much to recommend this film. Rare in early Shakespeare films the dialogue, while truncated, is exacting and emotively driven. And director George Cukor makes this potentially sloggish material move quickly and energetically. Most of all, there are the major performances. Edna May Oliver may be doing her quintessential EMO shtick for all time, and Andy Devine is anything but. Still, the intensely menacing Basil Rathbone deserved his Oscar nomination for his predatorily mercurial performance. Much has been made of the age of the two lead actors but, as they say, to play these roles convincingly an actor has to be too old for the part. After disbending disbelief, Leslie Howard becomes the quintessential Romeo, all temperate romanticism and emphatic longing...his slim waist belies his age and lends to the acceptance of him in the role. And finally, the glorious Norma Shearer. As in many of her performances, she vacillates between mannered presentation and emotional resonance. Here, her weakest scenes are as the youngish Juliet (too coquettish and coy) but all of her Shakesperian speeches are delivered resolutely and convincingly. In particular, her discovery of Romeo's violence and the potion speech are perfection itself. It's so unfortunate that this incomparably gifted actress never had the unencumbered opportunities beyond MGM to expand and express her artistry (though this and "Marie Antoinette" are the very testaments to that artistry). Shearer, a talented and versatile actress, deserves to be remembered for many multi-layered performances, and her Juliet is one of the jewels in her well deserved crown - Joan Crawford be damned!

One of my favorite teaching units over the years has been comparing film versions of Shakespeare. My adult students preferred the "active gore" in Polanski's MACBETH over what I found to be the riches of the Densch/McKellan version, and similarly preferred the panting adolescents of Zeffirelli's version to the double-aged Cukor film. Eros by any other name....

My bias for the Cukor version is based on impact. Zeffirelli's adaptations of Shakespeare never trusted the language, and therefore resorted to near slapstick antics to keep the audience awake. That director's "appreciation" of Leonard Whiting's beauty shortchanged subtleties in Olivia Hussey's performance right up to her abrupt "real" death scene. I don't dislike the teener version, I enjoy the song, and I do recall that teenaged girls in my home town literally swooned in the aisles of the theater at the tragedy's climax. But the Cukor film provides no less resonance--on its own terms and without the breathless mugging.

The greatest satisfaction for me is that Cukor and his actors trust the dialogue. This is an excellent assemblage of truly accomplished actors, who plumb the depths of their speeches magnificently. Granted, Reginald Denny bravely paunches through a role he was not born to play. (Denny's most startling starring role was in DeMille's supreme "camp musical" MADAM SATAN in 1930.) But Barrymore's Mercutio does nicely with Queen Mab and is compelling in his "plague" speech. If nothing else, it's interesting to contrast Zeffirelli's earthy Nurse and Edna Mae Oliver playing Edna Mae Oliver.

Shakespeare's language is the star of this production, and its timelessness shines!

Starting out with wonderful characters that might be new to you or might be old. This film is one of my absolute favourites. Nothing can compare to Shakespeare, or Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer portraying Romeo and Juliet. The costumes, were more than beautiful. Yes, I'd give anything to have some of those beautiful gowns worn by Norma as Juliet. Even if you find it difficult to understand Shakespeare, you find that when you watch Leslie and Norma, you know everything that's going on and you may even think that you understand Shakespeare more than your normal language! It's all another little world of magic when you hear the sweet tones of Sheakespeare. And with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, you'll think you are in another world. Edna Oliver's performance as the nurse was simply wonderful! And I think that the rest of the cast fit so well in one of Shakespeare's finest. So, if you love Shakespeare, Leslie Howard, Norma Shearer or are just a film lover, you'd better try this one!

I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend that people watch this version. Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer are perfectly cast in the roles of Romeo and Juliet. A must see, a beautiful performance.