Balcony Scene Variations and Analysis

When reading today's assignment I was initially uninterested thinking I would have to endure one scene four times, though after watching the variations, I realized that each scene truly was its own. All four interpretations were unique proving that all directors and actors have different biases, emotions and experiences that can change their perspective/analysis of the text. While watching the 1968 balcony scene, I was excited by the acting and line delivery of the actors. Both Romeo and Juliet seemed genuine and clear on the intent of the characters. I was a bit bothered by the fact that Juliet stayed on the balcony the whole scene and the two actors were essentially shouting at each other the whole clip. I was unimpressed by the way the characters were interacting, which made their love a little hard to believe, though I liked their acting individually. I really liked the "Gnomeo and Juliet" clip. The modern text was so cute and yet still somehow authentic to the Shakespearean intent. I thought the version did a good job of potentially telling the love story to a younger audience, though it somewhat made a joke of the play. The third clip I watched was the Royal Shakespeare Company version, this was by far my favorite interpretation and classic take on the scene. It was simple, believable and incredibly acted by the two artists. I loved the minimal set which allowed me to really focus in on the content. Though I know the scene and what it is about, I understood the language the most in this interpretation. The only piece of the adaption I question is the aggressiveness and somewhat forcefulness of Romeo when it came to the physical aspects of the scene. I was surprised that his movements and even line deliveries were so sharp, I always imagine Romeo as soft and sweet in this scene. While this take was different from what I have always seen, I did not mind it. Lastly, the 1936 George Cukor version was very interesting to me. It was simple and traditional, which I appreciated. I liked this clip because it showed how acting and text interpretation has changed so much over time and evolved to be what the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet is or the modern spoofs of the play are today. Again, similar to the first clip, I dislike the idea of Romeo and Juliet being so far away from each other during the scene therefore I wish they were more face to face. Overall, watching all four clips reaffirmed an idea of Shakespeare being very free to interpretation and open to personal analysis.