First of all, I was truly excited when hearing about this film, however, having finally started watching it, I was in fact very confused about what was unfolding in front of me on the screen. I did not expect Shakespeare in this setting, however I was intrigued, so I set to watch the film.
It took me a good few minutes to figure out the characters in both the Romeo and Juliet setting as well as the Private Romeo setting. Numerous actors play numerous characters which makes it that much more confusing and constantly during the film you see the students reading the play and then the play takes place in real time and real life. This i did not understand. Is the idea that they portray the story of Romeo in Juliet as they read it in class? Is this supposedly happening in real life ironically while they are busy discussing Romeo and Juliet in class? The concept of Romeo and Juliet in this setting has its moments in which it works and then moments where it fails. The entire point of Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers whose fate is bound in the fact that their love is forbidden because of a feud between their families. In this situation that feud which binds the entire story together transcends to, I presume, the lack of accepting gay love in a military school setting but is not brought across very well. With the exception of the Tybalt character all the boys are for it and tries to help the two lovers.
Many of the iconic moments of Shakespeare's play is lost and could have been done better. The lovers meeting was sudden and unexpected with no build up and happened in an awkward setting. The monumental balcony scene takes place in a classroom and lacks the tantalizing secrecy of two lovers doing wrong in the night. But for that same matter there are moments that were presented very well. The fight scene between Mercutio and Tybalt was good and then between Tybalt and Romeo. The lovers waking up after Romeo's banishment was done beautifully. Juliet's drinking of the elixir that fakes death was brilliant and spell binding and kudos to Matt Doyle for doing that so well.
The film has a happy ending with the two lovers reuniting and then Juliet sings a random love song.
What saves this movie in my opinion is that the acting is brilliant and the delivery of the Shakespearean lines are done very well. It is worth mentioning that Hale Appleman steals the show and is mesmerizing to watch as Mercutio.
In concept I loved the film, but I feel that it lacked structure which in effect made the film loose and chaotic. It is a brilliant idea that was executed, not poorly, but far from brilliantly. Maybe what could have happened was to shoot it in two different "dimensions". The reading of the play in the classroom and then the real life execution of the play in the military academy setting.
But all in all, you will either love it or hate it. Despite its faults, I enjoyed the film. I just wish that it had more structure.
It took me a good few minutes to figure out the characters in both the Romeo and Juliet setting as well as the Private Romeo setting. Numerous actors play numerous characters which makes it that much more confusing and constantly during the film you see the students reading the play and then the play takes place in real time and real life. This i did not understand. Is the idea that they portray the story of Romeo in Juliet as they read it in class? Is this supposedly happening in real life ironically while they are busy discussing Romeo and Juliet in class? The concept of Romeo and Juliet in this setting has its moments in which it works and then moments where it fails. The entire point of Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers whose fate is bound in the fact that their love is forbidden because of a feud between their families. In this situation that feud which binds the entire story together transcends to, I presume, the lack of accepting gay love in a military school setting but is not brought across very well. With the exception of the Tybalt character all the boys are for it and tries to help the two lovers.
Many of the iconic moments of Shakespeare's play is lost and could have been done better. The lovers meeting was sudden and unexpected with no build up and happened in an awkward setting. The monumental balcony scene takes place in a classroom and lacks the tantalizing secrecy of two lovers doing wrong in the night. But for that same matter there are moments that were presented very well. The fight scene between Mercutio and Tybalt was good and then between Tybalt and Romeo. The lovers waking up after Romeo's banishment was done beautifully. Juliet's drinking of the elixir that fakes death was brilliant and spell binding and kudos to Matt Doyle for doing that so well.
The film has a happy ending with the two lovers reuniting and then Juliet sings a random love song.
What saves this movie in my opinion is that the acting is brilliant and the delivery of the Shakespearean lines are done very well. It is worth mentioning that Hale Appleman steals the show and is mesmerizing to watch as Mercutio.
In concept I loved the film, but I feel that it lacked structure which in effect made the film loose and chaotic. It is a brilliant idea that was executed, not poorly, but far from brilliantly. Maybe what could have happened was to shoot it in two different "dimensions". The reading of the play in the classroom and then the real life execution of the play in the military academy setting.
But all in all, you will either love it or hate it. Despite its faults, I enjoyed the film. I just wish that it had more structure.