Romeo and Juliet - National Theatre Film

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

I am almost certain a thread existed for this but I cannot for the life of me find it so if there is one, my apologies and feel free to merge them. Also I wasn't sure whether to put this here or in General Chat because it's sort of a theatre/film hybrid so please move it if that's more appropriate. Anyway I would love to hear people's thoughts on this version!

I thought it was very well-acted for the most part, Tamsin Greig in particular was probably my favourite, and the direction was interesting and often beautiful but, even as someone largely unfamiliar with the play (my only experience really being the Baz Luhrmann film which is obviously not the most faithful adaptation), this felt cut down far too much. So many characters get very little screen time and so leave little impact, especially those whose deaths have such an effect on the story like Tybalt and Mercutio. In the film I recall Mercutio being such a scene-stealer and leaving a lasting impression but here it feels like he gets barely three lines before he's murdered, and his death is basically the catalyst for the second half of the play so it feels like he should have been more prominent.

It kind of felt like they were rushing towards the inevitable with the lightning-fast pace of the first half coupled with the frequent flashes forward to their untimely demises. It was as if they were saying, "Yeah, yeah we all know the story, let's get on with it!" Such a shame because if it hadn't been so abridged I think it could have been a pretty definitive filmed version.

[crowblack]

Hi, yes - Jessie Buckley was wonderful, but apart from that I was disappointed. It felt so grey and downbeat, the cuts removing much of the vim from characters who are usually so vivid, so their deaths, Juliet aside, lacked much impact. And the casting of such adult-looking actors as the teenagers also meant it lacked that sense of youngsters being steamrollered into their fates by their parents. 

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Apr 5, 2021 14:05:19 GMT crowblack said:

Hi, yes - Jessie Buckley was wonderful, but apart from that I was disappointed. It felt so grey and downbeat, the cuts removing much of the vim from characters who are usually so vivid, so their deaths, Juliet aside, lacked much impact. And the casting of such adult-looking actors as the teenagers also meant it lacked that sense of youngsters being steamrollered into their fates by their parents. 

Yeah they were definitely too old. It might have worked better on stage where you're further away and there's that greater suspension of disbelief than on film (although that was obviously still somewhat present since the line between stage and film was so blurred).

[peggs]

Wasn't able to get to the tv until just over 40 mins in so need to go back and watch the beginning. I was rather surprised by then Mercutio no sooner turned up than died as despite knowing the running time I'd over looked how much cutting that would necessitate. For what I saw I enjoyed, I'd been surprised Tamsin Greig was up for playing Lady C as she doesn't have that many lines but of course they'd flipped her lines with Lord Capulet so she got all the meeting lines and frankly terrified. I think you have to perhaps rather look at it not so much of a film of the play but an interpretation of it, a sort of fleeting visit. Disappointing it missed the opportunity to play as planned but I'm glad they did something with it.

For some reason knife fighting so much more scary than swords, well actually guess cos these days a sword is unlikely to end you but a knife could.

[alexandra]

Apr 5, 2021 17:49:26 GMT peggs said:

For some reason knife fighting so much more scary than swords, well actually guess cos these days a sword is unlikely to end you but a knife could.

Oh that's interesting. You're right.

[peggs]

Remembered 40 mins yesterday that it was being repeated so missed the same bit again 

[oxfordsimon]

I don't like the play. Have never seen a production that keeps my attention.

I think newcomers to this version might get quite confused by the cut which seems to assume prior knowledge of the plot.

It doesn't do away with the key weakness of having two characterless title characters. The interest is in the supporting roles. And we were shortchanged there too. We lost so much bawdy humour with the cuts to Mercutio and Nurse.

I didn't mind the age of R and J. But it made it harder than usual to feel for them as they were more the old enough to be responsible for their own romantic lives.

Tamsin ate up the screen as one would expect. And Adrian L was luxury casting.

It was very stylish and atmospheric. But it didn't make for a satisfying watch. I reached for my phone several times.

And if I was in a position to give advice to Josh O'connor, I would be suggesting that he finds a role that is as far as possible from Charles Windsor. He needs to reset how the public sees him if he wants to avoid being typecast as moody young men.

[lynette]

I always say it is the one i won’t bother to see again. Just toooo saaad.

[peggs]

I was first exposed to this when I was a very cynical teen and thought them utterly ridiculous killing themselves for love. As I've got older it has become a bit like Othello and I think maybe it won't end that way this time and the friar will run a bit faster!

[Jan]

This was a decent effort - well done NT for rescuing the production in this way, it showed some initiative. I’m beginning to think that Simon Godwin may be the only director who would both want to run the RSC and might be able to make a good job of doing it. For that reason I doubt they’d choose him.

[samuelwhiskers]

Simon’s desperate to run the NT, but maybe. He’s be a great choice.

[Jan]

Apr 10, 2021 8:16:19 GMT samuelwhiskers said:

Simon’s desperate to run the NT, but maybe. He’s be a great choice.

Hard to imagine he’d get the NT job, plenty of female directors would probably apply and so be preferred, probably rightly. I just think the RSC job is far less attractive and may attract fewer applications. It’s a pity he’s based in USA anyway, a major job here should surely be found for him.

[samuelwhiskers]

Apr 10, 2021 14:29:34 GMT Jan said:

Apr 10, 2021 8:16:19 GMT samuelwhiskers said:

Simon’s desperate to run the NT, but maybe. He’s be a great choice.

Hard to imagine he’d get the NT job, plenty of female directors would probably apply and so be preferred, probably rightly. I just think the RSC job is far less attractive and may attract fewer applications. It’s a pity he’s based in USA anyway, a major job here should surely be found for him.

Yes, I agree with that. A few people have told me they think Vicky Featherstone will be the next NT AD, which I can see very easily. If not Vicky then I think another woman.

Honestly I’m so ready for both Norris and Doran to leave. Uninspired leadership, though the NT’s work during lockdown has redeemed itself somewhat.

[Jan]

I think the NT and RSC jobs are fundamentally different. To run the NT you primarily need to be a good producer of other peoples work. For example lots of the things Peter Hall directed himself at NT were pretty average but he was a brilliant producer bringing in other directors, championing certain playwrights, recruiting star actors and programming the three venues. As AD you can pick and choose what to direct - Norris is purely a new plays director in my book and he can stick to that at NT. For the RSC if you are not yourself a very good director of Shakespeare (which Peter Hall was in that case) it is a tough job because that’s what you have to direct every year. That’s why I think fewer people would apply for that job (Vicky Featherstone wouldn’t for example) but Simon Godwin would.