12 Best Film Adaptations Of Shakespeare's Tragedies

Based On: Romeo and Juliet

Adaptation:

A well-known adaptation of the world's most beloved love story, this is directed by Franco Zeffirelli and stars Leonard Whiting as Romeo and Olivia Hussey as Juliet. It largely sticks to the play, although some of the dialogue is jettisoned.

Romeo and Juliet is widely loved and it is good, but it isn't Shakespeare's best play. The dialogue is fantastic but as a story it's impossible to take seriously. What kind of idiot would kill themselves over someone they met a week ago? This adaptation luckily, more or less, manages to get past the silliness of the plot.

This adaptation of the most filmed play of all time is well-known, but in recent years its reception has cooled. This is no doubt thanks to the fact that it hasn't aged brilliantly and is cheesy enough to put Mamma Mia! to shame, but it's still a thoroughly enjoyable movie however naff it might seem today.

The film is very moving and has a melodramatic, genuinely romantic feel that is hard to resist. As with many of the tragedies getting the ending right is very important and this manages that easily, with the death of the two star-crossed lovers really hitting hard. It also works as a cinematically strong adaptation and the visuals are top-notch.

The acting isn't great but otherwise this is a very entertaining and touching film that's hard not to be moved by.