Literature

[Bear24]

Romeo & Juliet, why does it appeal to a modern day audience ?

[jno]

partly because they're so young (Juliet at least seems to be under the age of consent) and as we know everything today is aimed at 15-year-olds. (Early film versions are played by people in their 30s, but you wouldn't get away with that today.) It also appeals to their sense of being tragic outsiders in a cruel universe that fails to understand theri love. Older audiences probably enjoy the poetry more.

[gizmo1]

Most films are based on the idea that for drama you must place obstacles in the way of the protagonists' goals. Specifically for romances, the obstacle is placed in the way of the two lovers coming together. In romantic comedies, the obstacles are overcome, in tragedies, they are not. Romeo and Juliet face an obstacle familiar to most of us, the prejudice that exists between different ethnic/class groups. This is demonstrated to great effect in Bernstein's update, 'West Side Story'.

[Bohne]

Does it?

[cruella]

I was never into Romeo and Juliet until I watched a documentary on TV last week showing the Ballyhoo ballet company including youngters in their balle twho had problem backgrounds. It showed 18 months of tears, frustrations etc with those problem youngsters, who knuckled down and eventually gave the performance of their lives. I never really got into Romeo and Juliet until then. I ended up with a lump in my throat at the end of the documentary.

[Binky]

Because the plot holds all the major themes that are immortal: love, revenge and death.

[Bear24]

thanks !!!

[carrieann]

There is also the fact that several ballets with great music are based on it, too