| Romeo and Juliet | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Riccardo Freda |
| Screenplay by | Riccardo Freda [1] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gábor Pogány [1] |
| Edited by | Anna Amedi [1] |
| Music by | Bruno Nicolai [1] |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Titanus |
Release date |
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| Countries |
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Romeo and Juliet (Italian : Romeo e Giulietta) is a 1964 film directed and written by Riccardo Freda.
Riccardo Freda maintained that it was himself who had the idea to adapt Romeo and Juliet , having been an admirer of William Shakespeare since his youth and that he convinced Goffredo Lombardo, who had gone bankrupt after the production of Sodom and Gomorrah , to create the production company Imprecine and set up a co-production deal with Spain for this film and Genoveffa di Brabante . [2] Other sources such as Stefano Della Casa state that Freda was commissioned to shoot a Shakespeare adaptation by the Spanish company Hispamer Films, and accepted only as it would allow him to make a period drama, which he could inject elements of his favourite genre, the adventure film. [3] [4] The film reinvents the Montague and Capulets as land and cattle owners with disputes over land pastures. [5] Minutella had suggested that the elements are borrowed from Sergio Leone's Westerns of the period, which Italian film critic and historian Curti stated was impossible as the films were only released days apart from each other. [6] [7]
Geronimo Meynier was cast as Romeo in the film, which was his final acting role. [8] Originally, Brett Halsey was going to play the lead, with Halsey stating that Freda planned to shoot the film in English in four weeks and feared he would not have adequate time for rehearsal and turned down the role, which led to Freda and him not speaking for years. [8]
Romeo and Juliet was shot in Madrid and Ávila. [3] Ruggero Deodato was an assistant director on set, and claimed that "Freda was a genius. I learned a lot from him. He was an intelligent person, cultured, and even a bit nasty on the set. He mistreated the crew, and to film a good chase on horseback, he did not hesitate to cripple the horses, even though he owned a stable... he always came up with ideas which I hadn't thought of, both on set as in the editing room." [8] [9]
Romeo and Juliet was released in Italy on 28 August 1964 where it was distributed by Titanus. [1] The film grossed 50 million Italian lire domestically, which Curti described as "disappointing" and that the film "remained virtually unknown abroad." [1] [8] A few years later director Franco Zeffirelli directed his own adaptation of Romeo and Juliet , which Freda commented on later stating that "No one harmed Shakespeare more than Zeffirelli". [8]
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, often shortened to Romeo and Juliet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II era, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for his lavish stagings of classical works, as well as his film adaptations of the same. A member of the Forza Italia party, he served as the Senator for Catania between 1994 and 2001.
Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 period romantic tragedy film, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. Directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, the film stars Leonard Whiting as Romeo and Olivia Hussey as Juliet. Laurence Olivier spoke the film's prologue and epilogue and dubs the voice of Antonio Pierfederici, who played Lord Montague but was not credited on-screen. The cast also features Milo O'Shea, Michael York, John McEnery, Bruce Robinson, and Robert Stephens.
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William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet may be one of the most-screened plays of all time. The most notable theatrical releases were George Cukor's multi-Oscar-nominated 1936 production Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, and Baz Luhrmann's 1996 MTV-inspired Romeo + Juliet. The latter two were both, at the time, the highest-grossing Shakespeare films. Cukor featured the mature actors Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard as the teenage lovers while Zeffirelli populated his film with beautiful young people, and Baz Luhrmann produced a heavily cut fast-paced version aimed at teenage audiences.
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