Black and white movie introduction. Shakespeare's film "Romeo and Juliet" - 43 years old playing Romeo?

Monochrome movie introduction "Romeo and Juliet"

(These were lobby cards made for movie theaters at the time.)

Do you know "Romeo and Juliet" ?

This is a tragedy written by the British playwright William Shakespeare , and is said to be the most beautiful and sweet romance play in the world.

In modern times, the famous "Romeo + Juliet" (1996, directed by Baz Luhrmann) starring Leonardo DiCaprio is a well-known movie. It was a modern adaptation of the original novel.

Today I would like to introduce the 1936 American film "Romeo and Juliet," which was probably the first film adaptation of the novel.

The actors who play Romeo are Leslie Howard and Juliet are Norma Shearer. These actors starred in the movie "Marie Antoinette," which I introduced on this blog before.

Chronologically, "Romeo and Juliet" was made first, followed by "Marie Antoinette."

What is the sweetest and most beautiful love story in the world?

(Shakespeare portrait)

Have you ever read any of Shakepeare's plays?

A play is a script for a stage performance. Of course, it can also be read as a book.

I believe that Shakespeare's plays are filled with beauty and joy in the poetic expression of their lines, and offer deep insights into life.

You may find it difficult to read at first, but once you start to get interested, you'll find it interesting enough to keep thinking about it for a good amount of time.

There are many Japanese translations of "Romeo and Juliet," so please try reading it. The volume is not too long, so I think it's easy to read.

The genius who left behind 41 plays (even more if co-written plays are included) that will be remembered for future generations was William Shakespeare.

He was born in 1564 (16th century) in a town in central England (the UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) and died in 1616 (in Japan, during the time of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu).

At the age of 18, he married a woman eight years older than him named Anne Hathaway and had three children. After that, he moved to London alone. While working at the theater (apparently working as an actor and playwright), he began writing "Henry VI" around 1590, and it was around this time that he began to stand out as a playwright.

And we know that the original novel of the movie we will be looking at this time, "Romeo and Juliet," was written between 1594 and 1595 (when Japan was in the middle of the Warring States period).

Now, let me give you a quick outline of the story.

The story is set in the northern Italian city of Verona (an old town that actually exists).

The town was home to two noble families, the Montagues and the Capulets, who were constantly fighting and hating each other.

The two main characters of the story are Romeo, the son of the Montague family, and Juliet, the daughter of the Capulet family.

The animosity between the two families was also a headache for the Grand Duke who ruled the city.

One day, Romeo sneaks into a masked ball held by the Capulet family, where he meets Juliet, the only daughter of his sworn enemy, and the two instantly fall in love.

The two whisper their love to each other and get married behind their parents' backs, but the conflict between the two families remains, and Romeo continues to commit more sins.

The pure and deep love between the two and the conflict between their families - this helpless situation is rapidly leading their future to ruin.

This is the flow.

Juliet is set to be 14 years old, while Romeo is thought to be in his teens.

At the time, leading actress Norma Shearer was 32 years old and Leslie Howard was 43! They were played by fairly mature actors.

But strangely enough, as the movie progresses, I don't feel any discomfort at all. Is this due to the amazing actors or the appeal of the story?

Famous line: "Why did you..."

(A scene where they talk about love on the balcony)

When you think of Romeo and Juliet, what comes to mind?

Juliet : Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why art thou Romeo? Break thy ties with thy father, and give thy name; or if thou canst not, swear thou shalt love me, and I will give thy name.

"That name is my enemy, that name!"

"Roses smell the same even when they change flowers, and so does Romeo. Even if you lose your name, your charm remains the same. Romeo, throw away your name. You don't need that name. Choose me."

Romeo : As you command!

This is the famous exchange that takes place on a balcony.

In the movie we are looking at today, some lines have been cut compared to the original.

In this scene, I thought Juliet was speaking to Romeo, but both when I watched the movie and read the translated version, it was different.

Juliet goes out onto the balcony and, thinking that no one is there, begins to tell him how she feels.

The scene was structured so that Romeo had sneaked in and was listening to it from below on the balcony.

In other words, Juliet was definitely in a state of blushing as her confession had been overheard. Can you handle it?

Juliet tells Romeo that she has nothing to say now, and pours out her feelings to him, to which he responds.

From here, the romantic conversation in poetry continues over a long period of time, but just as the love between the two people flares up all at once, the story accelerates towards catastrophe, which is all the more sad knowing the ending.

I guess relationships like this still exist today, regardless of family background or job, whether domestic or foreign.

Ahh, I once again realize that this is what they mean when they say love is blind.

It has also been used as a subject in the world of painting.

Many of Shakespeare's works have been illustrated.

Of course, there is also "Romeo and Juliet." This was painted by a painter named Frank Dicksee, and shows the couple getting married in secret, having their wedding night, and then saying goodbye so they won't be found out in the morning. 1884.

In the scene depicted in this painting, in the 1936 version of the film "Romeo and Juliet," it takes Romeo 4 minutes and 33 seconds to enter Juliet's room undetected and leave before anyone arrives.

This is a thrilling film to watch. It's four and a half minutes long.

During that time, they talk about love and have a poetic conversation, saying things like, "It's already sunrise, no, not yet..." No, you're in trouble if you don't hurry up, Romeo. You committed a serious crime and are being banished, so what are you doing?! I can't help but think that.

Here is an excerpt from that conversation:

Juliet : "I'm going now, for it is yet early morning. It is the nightingale. No lark, she sings in the pomegranate tree. Truly it is the nightingale." (They embrace)

Romeo : "That is a skylark, the bird that heralds the morning." "Look, jealous lightning splits the eastern clouds, the fires of the night have burned out, and the sun rises from the misty mountains. I must go, or I will die."

Juliet says, "That is not the morning sun, that is a comet, which will light the way to Mantua (where Romeo is exiled), so please do not go."

It makes me anxious watching it. I want them to leave the room quickly.

The nightingale, who appears in the conversation between the newly married couple, is considered a night bird in the West and often sings before dawn.

It's before dawn, so it's not morning yet, and it's still okay... It's a symbol that expresses the feelings of the two people who want to stay together forever.

Its counterpart is the skylark, which in the West is considered a bird that heralds the morning and also represents "untainted love."

This symbolizes that if Romeo leaves Juliet at the time the skylark sings, they will be safe, and that their love is pure.

It's a tragedy, but

Romeo, believing Juliet to be dead in a state of suspended animation, takes poison and ends his life. Later, when Juliet wakes up and sees her husband, Romeo, whom she secretly married, she also takes her own life.

A family dispute leads to a tragedy for the two young people, but the tragedy teaches them the futility of fighting, and the film ends with the two families who once hated each other joining hands.

Do once-in-a-lifetime love and death go hand in hand?

Overcoming the destiny we are born with. Doesn't this mean that the way we think about things varies greatly depending on the era?

Is it because of the beauty of the poetry that it doesn't feel dark, even though it is a tragedy? Or is it because the plague was prevalent at the time (which is the trigger for the tragedy in the film) that they paid particular attention to that?

As expected, the patriarchal system was very strict in those days and the father's orders were absolute.

This movie also got me thinking about love and war, love and family, love and friends, love and... I wonder...

Although Romeo and Juliet were at the mercy of the "family" into which they were born, they were able to overcome their fate by remaining true to their love.

Their love and death.

The helplessness, awkwardness, and honest feelings of youth are apparent in the poem. No matter how beautiful the poems they exchange, they remain human.

If it were only a story of beauty and sweetness, it would not have continued to be read for so long.

I thought that it is because the story is filled with human elements that it resonates with the reader.

That said, giving one's life for love is something that only exists in the world of fiction.

This black and white film, "Romeo and Juliet" (1936), can be watched on Amazon prime.

Romeo and Juliet

References

New translation of "Romeo and Juliet", translated by Shoichiro Kawai, KADOKAWA, 2005

・"Collection of Shakespeare's Quotations", author Yushi Odashima, Iwanami Shoten, 1985

"Lectures on Shakepeare", by Northrop Frye, Sanshusha, 2009

・"The World of Shakespeare in Famous Paintings," by Hiroshi Hirano, KADOKAWA, 2014

・"Shakespeare for Beginners" by Umemiya Sozo, Kingdom Publishers, 2002

Author

Masashi Aoki

Art Examination Level 1 Art Navigator

I'm the one in the top left of the picture. I sometimes create images like this.

I photographed the marbling I did with acrylic paint and combined it with images I took myself.

In the past, I worked as a radio station director in Osaka and Nagoya for a long time.

He was a member of Aichi Triennale 2013 .

Instagram