The Thematic And Stylistic Influence Of West Side Story On Zeffirelli’S Romeo And Juliet
...public conception of the elements of a Shakespeare movie; essentially, it seems to be Shakespeare distilled for public consumption. This is not to imply that Zeffirelli is not authentic in his interpretation of the text and drama; rather, he is, in the truest sense, staging an adaptation of the ancient tragedy to the modern medium of film. Far from altering or rejecting the Elizabethan conventions of style, tone, and presentation as Baz Luhrmann perhaps did three decades later, Zeffirelli incorporates these elements seamlessly into the more contemporary genre of Hollywood romance, in the process infusing the oft-told story with a vibrancy and relevance that was perhaps unparalleled in filmed Shakespeare in 1968. A truly filmic production, this Romeo and Juliet features quick cuts between speakers, clarity of dialogue, notable yet natural insertions to the text and two leads with no Shakespearean credentials selected in a worldwide open casting call—in totality, an unabashed commercial production.
If, then, Zeffirelli’s film is meant to serve as an essentially genuine staging of Shakespeare’s work seen through the lens of the movie camera and the eyes of the twentieth century, it seems logical that the director would draw inspiration from a contemporary film production of the same narrative: Jerome Robbins’s musical West Side Story, released seven years prior to Romeo and Juliet. While West Side Story perhaps lacks the tragic momentum of Shakespeare’s construction and effortless poetry of his text, it easily rivals any other production in its youthful exuberance, celebratory visual style, and seemingly boundless kinetic energy. As a result of this enticing presentation, and overall accessibility, Robbins’s musical was perhaps the only available adaptation of Romeo and Juliet after which Zeffirelli could pattern his directorial vision; the only major...
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