Mark is the host of February’s IndieWeb Movie Club. While in his timezone it’s March, it’s still February where I am.
His challenge, to watch ANY filmed version of Romeo & Juliet. A play written in 1597. That’s somehow 428 years ago.
I cheekily wondered if the Dire Straits song could count. But it’s really not a rendition of the play. Still, a worthy song from 1980. 45 years old. Also old.
For my watch I watched the 1996 rendition. Stylish. Pop. Baz Luhrman at his most audacious. I think that was the first Luhrman movie I saw those 29 years ago. Rewatching it–it still had that peculiar spark. Kind of amazing how explosive and fearless his movies are. Romeo & Juliet, being a tragedy, is one I’ve not rewatched before. But I’m glad I did. The costumes are amazing and lovely. And doomed stupid love is still timeless. All the better that it have vivid colors and every emotion captured on screen. John Leguizamo is still a favorite of mine and it was great to revisit him in this. DiCaprio & Danes are great too, but they’re still stars in roughly the same way they were then. Leguizamo I really love for his monologue shows.
I wanted to watch the Zeffirelli version too, but that didn’t work out.
Still, worth it.
