does the Romeo and Juliet (2013) "balcony scene" do Shakespeare's "Act 2, Scene 2" Justice?
TONE
Douglas Booth (Romeo) Shakespeare wrote Romeo's lines to be spoken desperately and with love. The way Douglas Booth recites Romeo's words slowly and softly is brilliant on Booth's part. His beginning lines are spoken in almost a whisper. It is clear he feels what Shakespeare would have wanted him to feel, and the emotion in his words is easy to hear. As he starts responding to Steinfeld (Juliet), his tone of voice gets louder, showing exactly how desperately he feels about her. The torrent of emotions he fills in his every word causes the audience to WANT him to find success with Juliet, as it is clear how much he loves her. In terms of tone, Booth recites Romeo's words perfectly. Hailee Steinfeld (Juliet) Throughout this scene in Shakespeare's play, Juliet's tone is supposed to be brooding and desperate. Even so, Steinfeld puts absolutely no emotion in any of the lines she says. It is absolutely horrendous, and a disgrace to such a famous character. She rushes through her words, and it is clear she doesn't feel an emotional connection to her character. She causes the audience to want to fall asleep; they don't care what happens to her, because it doesn't sound like she really cares about Romeo. Her words just sound fake. This was poor acting on Steinfeld's part, and should have been carried out a lot better. | |
Blocking
The overall blocking of this scene was very well carried out. In the play, Romeo hides his identity by hiding in the bushes surrounding the castle. This makes him seem stalkerish, whereas in the movie, since he is out in the open, in the middle of the courtyard, the gesture seems more romantic. As Steinfeld (Juliet) recites through Juliet's soliloquy, Booth (Romeo), moves closer and closer to her, traversing the whole courtyard. It is obvious that he is pulled towards her, and wants to hear every word she speaks. When he finally speaks at the climax of the scene, he throws of his cloak, amplifying the dramaticness of the scene, and she takes of her shawl. The music gets stronger, and suddenly Booth is scaling the wall of the castle until he is within touching distance of Steinfeld, and she leans towards him. This amazing blocking purely represents the attraction between the two, to the point where their pull is almost magnetic. Bravo to the screenplay writers- they did well with this scene.
Costumes
| Douglas Booth (Romeo) Booth starts off wearing a blue hooded cloak. This is different from the play, where he is wearing what he wore to the ball. This shows the audience how he is trying to hide his identity, as he gazes upon Steinfeld (Juliet). When he casts off his cloak as he scales the castle wall, his attire makes him look like a hero- strong and brave. He is wearing typical clothing of the time period, but it is clear a lot of time was put into making him look like something more. The costumes for this scene were very well done. Hailee Steinfeld (Juliet) Steinfeld wears what looks like a pink nightgown with a white shawl. It is obvious that she was about to go to bed, but decided to make a quick stop at the balcony to reflect on her confusing day. Her costume was clearly well thought out as this is exactly how she is supposed to be in the play. |
Actors
Douglas Booth (Romeo)
As stated above, Booth's connection to Romeo is absolutely stunning. He speaks with such emotion, and is incredibly believable. He is a natural at reciting in Elizabethan dialogue. It is almost as if it is how he speaks in real life. Overall, Booth's acting was very well done.
Hailee Steinfeld (Juliet)
Steinfeld's acting was terrible. She put in no emotion into anything, and made all her lines sound cheesy instead of sincere. When she rested her cheek on her hand, she did it in such a way it was laughable, and it ruined the realness of Booth's line. Steinfeld is an incredible actress, but for some reason her acting in this movie was less than acceptable. Someone else should have been cast for the role.
As stated above, Booth's connection to Romeo is absolutely stunning. He speaks with such emotion, and is incredibly believable. He is a natural at reciting in Elizabethan dialogue. It is almost as if it is how he speaks in real life. Overall, Booth's acting was very well done.
Hailee Steinfeld (Juliet)
Steinfeld's acting was terrible. She put in no emotion into anything, and made all her lines sound cheesy instead of sincere. When she rested her cheek on her hand, she did it in such a way it was laughable, and it ruined the realness of Booth's line. Steinfeld is an incredible actress, but for some reason her acting in this movie was less than acceptable. Someone else should have been cast for the role.
Setting
The movie follows the play in terms of setting. In the play, this scene is set outside Juliet's balcony inside the Capulet walls. In the movie, it is set in this exact place. The setting stayed true to the scene, which was a great decision, as this is arguably one of the most famous scenes in the book. If they had messed with the setting, they would have risked millions of angry fans in a frenzy, all because of this scene. |
Portrayal of scene by Director
Carlo Carlei did a great job of directing this scene. Despite Steinfeld's acting, he made the scene seem as real as possible. The lines even stayed true to the play. Although some lines were skipped, this was a good decision, as they were really repetitive and would have bored the audience. Along with this, some lines strayed from the play's original language and sounded more modern. This was done at just the right amount that the scene stayed true to the play, without being hard to understand. Carlei deserves props, as he did an incredible job with the scene.
Bibliography
Romeo and Juliet 2.2. By William Shakespeare. Performance.
Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Carlo Carlei. Perf. Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth. 2013. Film.
Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Carlo Carlei. Perf. Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth. 2013. Film.