User Reviews

Although surpassed by Baz Luhrmann, this is as good a version of 'Romeo and Juliet' as you could hope for. Like Luhrmann, the director here doesn't make it simply a film about young people, but a film whose action is driven by young people - the play's exhilirating speed, its exultant highs and gaping lows, its eternal present tense, its random luck and horror, only make sense in this way.

Romeo and Juliet might only be silly teenagers, who will love passionately one person one day, and love another with equal vehemence tomorrow. But as you get older, you realise that only teenagers truly know love, freed from responsibility and the shadow of the future - anyone over 20 in these roles would make the play ridiculous. Because the series of events that provoke the play's closure - especially the 'wise' priest and his daft potion - is pretty silly.

This sense of now-now-now, of propulsion; this romantic commingling of all-encompassing love and death, is only ever really felt by teenagers, and the generous impulse that leads Romeo to Juliet also precipitates his decline, through his loyal feelings for his friend. Even the grave rivalry between the Capulets and Montagus seems like the squabbling of children. Which, morally, it is.

This cartoon captures this sense of youthful lightness within tragic events perfectly. The best scenes are the best scenes in Luhrmann, but with a different emphasis. There is more thought given to the Elizabethan culture that produced Romeo and Juliet, and its Veronese setting. So the visual texture acomodates the emblematic and ritualistic elements of the play - the party is a glorious, parti-coloured affair, complete with contemporary jesters and musicians; while the love scene moves from the physical to emblematic, the lovers' bodies transcending the confines of a bedroom and floating exultant in the air.

The costume and colour throughout is beautifully evocative, but the most impressive sequence is the balcony scene, overlooking a huge, overgrown garden at dusk, bounded by high walls, destroyed by Romeo's impetuous passion. The effect is almost Gothic.

As said many times, have always had a lifelong love of animation, old and new. Disney, Studio Ghibli, Hanna Barbera, Tom and Jerry, Hanna Barbera, Looney Tunes and also the works of Tex Avery and Fleischer. With a broader knowledge of animation styles, directors, studios and how it was all done actually love it even more now.

Have also loved William Shakespeare's work from an early age, remember very fondly reading various parts aloud in primary and secondary school English classes when studying the likes of 'Macbeth', 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' and various film adaptations such as Kenneth Branagh's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth'. So a large part of me was hugely intrigued by 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales', with such a high appreciation of both animation and Shakespeare. There was also the worry of whether Shakespeare would work as short animated adaptations compressed and condensed, when some much longer adaptations have suffered.

It was wonderful that 'Shakespeare: The Animated Tales' not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them. All my worries of whether it would work quickly evaporated when it absolutely did work and brilliantly.

Even with the short length, the essence and spirit of 'Romeo and Juliet' (one of Shakespesre's best for me and one of his that many are most familiar with) are brought out brilliantly. It doesn't suffer from the condensation, even when everything is not there, nothing is incoherent which is a big achievement.

Shakespeare's colourful and thought-provoking language is as colourful and thought-provoking as one would hope, so many recognisable moments with all their impact. All in a way to appeal and be understandable to a wide audience, being easy to understand for younger audiences (of which the series is a perfect introduction of Shakespeare to), with such complex text and story elements a lot of credit is due. Adults will relish how the text is delivered, the many quotable lines and how well the essence of is captured.

Younger audiences and adults alike will marvel and be entranced by the romantic tone of some scenes, that are of sensual beauty, balanced out by the tense conflict. The more emotional parts, especially the ending, are poignant. There shouldn't be any confusion and there is nothing to scare youngsters. The characters are true to personality and handled with great respect.

The visuals are very appealing to look at, colourful, meticulously detailed, nicely rendered and atmospheric and perfectly suited to the various characters and tone of the play, there is a real sensuality and beauty in particularly the balcony scene. The music is never inappropriate, the narration is never over-explanatory or annoying and always delivered with sincerity by Felicity Kendal, no stranger herself to Shakespeare.

Linus Roache and particularly Claire Holman are suitably amorous lovers, was not expecting Roache to work somehow and worried whether he would be too bland but had no problem with him if not quite having the charm of Holman. Particularly great in support are loyal and witty Greg Hicks, swaggering yet tough Brendan Charleson and authoritative Charles Kay.

All in all, beautiful. 10/10 Bethany Cox