Seriously, that is all this story is.
But somehow, people just focus on the supposed "romance" of the plot and completely forget the "cautionary" part of the tale! For shame, general public.
I could rag on Romeo & Juliet for countless hours, for a limitless amount of time, but that would be far too much effort to spend right now. Instead, I will simply state that it is among the worst of Shakespeare's plays, that the characters and situations are (for the most part) forced and stilted, and that any ideals of love or destiny are so incredibly false that they should be stoned for preaching idolatrous truths.
That being said, I kind of love Baz Luhrmann's version. Yes, the one with Leonardo DiCaprio. I admit it! I am very entertained by this movie.
I love the frenetic pacing. I love how it begins with almost over-stimulating visuals punctuated by quick cuts. I love how the lines are delivered so earnestly it border on cheesiness. I absolutely love all the lush details-- Tybalt's cat boots, the 9mm "swords", the huge statue of Christ and the achingly beautiful deserted Sycamore Grove stage. Which brings us to the soundtrack. Like him or leave him, the first shot of Leo brooding on the beach with "Talk Show Host" in the background is perfect. Anything that uses Radiohead is tops in my book.
But the main reason to watch? Mercutio! Talk about your fictional crushes. Mercutio is the lone grace in Romeo & Juliet. It doesn't matter what version you are watching, he steals the show every stinkin' time. And I love how Luhrmann goes for a character that is seriously unhinged. One that is capable of switching emotions as quickly as a wave crashing on the shore. This guy experiences the highest highs and the most biting anger within seconds. Now that's just fun to watch!
Besides, I can't help but picture how awesome Michael on Lost would have been if he'd busted out his Mercutio cross-dressing moves. So much better than always screaming WWWWWWWAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTT!
3 comments:
Bad break-up?
I love the Baz L. version as well. I think it's great, although Leo doesn't do it for me. It's the Radiohead that did me in.
I don't blame you. I love Baz and all his insanity. Remember that awesome scene we did from this play? The best scene EVER done EVER from Romeo and Juliet EVER?
I'm so with you. If only Michael had past his Mercutio-ness down to Walt too. That way, every time we see Walt dripping wet in the jungle, we also might see a little bit of lipstick running from his lips too. I know that would highly increase MY enjoyment of the show anyway.
Also, confession: I loved Australia. Loved it. Watched it twenty times.
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