I've been watching all of the bbc renditions of Shakespeare's plays. For no reason whatsoever I started backwards so this is about the 6th or 7th play I've watched. My initial disappointment stems from expecting it to be the 1968 production which I falsely assumed was a bbc production. However since this one is bbc I expected much more. Mercutio in particular appears to be in his own orbit. His energy is off the charts but not fitting for this play. He rushes his lines at least twice as fast as every other actor. I noticed that Romeo eyes are dark and sunken, based upon aesthetic alone he is a poor choice for Romeo. Juliet too is not very attractive and her acting doesn't make up for it. Although my critique is based upon rather superficial criteria it is hard to look past while watching this for 2.5 hours. I just watched Timon of Athens and although it is not as well known the bbc production was outstanding. Overall my review is harsh but in summary there is at least one better version out there and that is the 1968. It will satisfy the deficiencies that this bbc production has. I only plan to review further bbc productions if they are excellent or somewhat poor.
Review of Romeo & Juliet
