Comparing All the Romeo & Juliet Movies

Comparing All the Reomeo and Juliet Movies

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re comparing all of the Romeo and Juliet movies.

In this video, we’ll be looking at the most important components of this tale of star-crossed lovers, and examining how different films have deviated from the source material. Plot points will be discussed, so beware of centuries old spoilers ahead

What’s your favorite version of the Bard’s classic tale? Let us know in the comments below!

The Rivalry

“Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” The warring families in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” are as integral to the narrative’s construction as anything else. After all, they’re the reason the titular couple are doomed from the start. The Montagues and the Capulets hate each other for reasons that largely go unexplored. But while their hate separates them, their hubris and stubbornness unite them. This idea stays relatively constant throughout most cinematic interpretations of the play, although some do tackle the reasons behind the feud. In “West Side Story,” it stems from racial prejudice and social divides. In something like “Romeo and Juliet in Yiddish,” the lovers come from two separate religious sects. Movies like these take a deeper look at why the two families might despise each other. In doing so, they create a nuanced narrative that goes beyond surface level hatred.

The First Meeting

Is it love at first sight, or is it simply lustful teenage attraction? We’ll let you be the judge of that. One thing we can all agree on, however, is that almost all iterations of “Romeo and Juliet” involve a first meeting of blown-out proportions between our two lovebirds. It generally happens at a party of some sort — unless, of course, a party is impossible to hold, like in the zombie/human love story “Warm Bodies.” Regardless of the specific location or event, the meet cute is consistently one of the most consequential parts of the story, setting everything else in motion. Romeo and Juliet genuinely and instantly believe they’ve fallen for each other. Everything pretty much goes downhill from there.

The Balcony Scene

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? It’s a line that carries the weight of an entire relationship, coming at a point that holds an incredible amount of importance for the story. The balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet” is the moment in the couple’s arc that bonds them together forever. In numerous adaptations, including many of the modernized ones, the pivotal interaction involves a literal balcony in some capacity. Seriously, even when zombies are involved, you best believe the writers are shoehorning a balcony into the scene. But can you blame them? It just feels right. As the story has aged, this setting has become just as important as the dialogue and emotions themselves.

Updating the Story for Modern Times

Throughout the history of adapting “Romeo and Juliet,” there have been plenty of attempts to modernize it. The most famous of these is arguably “West Side Story.” While it may seem somewhat outdated now, the decision to set the story in New York City works well, providing a framework to tackle social issues. Interestingly enough, other adaptations that try to update the story for the modern day often keep some traditional elements while simultaneously deviating from the source material. The result tends to be an interesting mix between old and new that shows just how versatile it is. For instance, Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” has a modern environment but keeps the language. “Romeo Must Die,” meanwhile, turns the tale into a full-blown action movie. Plot wise, however, there’s something timeless at play. Attraction and love (or at least the idea of it) often make people throw caution to the wind. Setting, era, genre, and dialogue aside, that tends to be a thread running through practically all versions of the tragedy.

The Romance Through an LGBTQIA+ Lens

The gender norms in “Romeo and Juliet” are fairly uninterrogated and match up with the ideals of the era. However, as “Shakespeare in Love” reminds us, men would assume the roles of women in plays during Shakespearean times. Even with that history, “Romeo and Juliet’ is sadly not often updated with same-sex or queer couples in mind. One of the more prominent movies that breaks the mold, however, is called “Private Romeo.” It portrays a recitation of the tragedy performed in an all-boys military school. Two of the cast members (the ones playing the lead couple, of course), fall in love. The film examines gender and sexuality in an interesting way, proving that the story doesn’t need to fall into heteronormative tropes to work. It’s a fresh lens through which to tell the tale, and merits further mainstream exploration and attention.

Do Both Romeo & Juliet Have to Die?

At the end of “Rosaline,” a new spin on the classic story released in 2022, the star-crossed lovers don’t actually die. Instead, they fake their deaths to hide from their disapproving families. You might think this is a huge departure from the canon of “Romeo and Juliet” films, but changes to the story’s ending actually happen quite frequently. In movies like “Romeo Must Die,” both versions of “West Side Story” and “Warm Bodies,” one or both of the two survive. This trend feels like a modern (and welcome) update to a very traditional tale. We’re willing to accept that teenagers fall in lust too easily and make silly mistakes. But we also admit that it seems a little harsh that they both would have to die at the end of every incarnation!

At the end of the day, “Romeo and Juliet” isn’t one of Shakespeare’s best-known works for nothing. It has transcended generations, and thankfully, there are countless ways to update it to ensure it remains relevant. The bones of the original story are solid, but there’s plenty of room to play around and make it feel new and different. The best adaptations understand that, blending tradition with modernity in perfect manner.