Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Lecture by Prof. Rob Silverman and screening of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 production of Romeo and Juliet starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.

This film was the most financially successful film adaptation of a Shakespeare play at the time of its release, and was especially popular with teenagers because Zeffirelli cast actors who were the right age to play the leading characters. It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design; it was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture, making it the last Shakespearean film to be nominated for Best Picture to date.