Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

For me, I have heard of the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet since I was a little girl. While I didn't read the play until high school, I have always been familiar with the story. It is always interesting watching a new adaptation of the play. One might think that it gets repetitive consuming different forms of, at its root, the same story. However, I find it interesting to notice the changes made in order to make each version their own. Additionally, I find the message of the play to be one that will never lose its importance. I think everyone can find a way to relate to wanting to pursue something or someone despite outside forces being against it. 

While both the live Broadway and 1996 film version are modern takes of the story, I found that the live version challenged me more. I enjoyed the diversity of the cast and the comedic touches, but found that the fast speed at which the actors spoke made it difficult to keep up with what was going on. Also, I found the setting to be very dark and lacked any additions that would help me to become further immersed in the plot. I enjoyed the 1996 version a lot more and really liked how it took the original version of the play a lot further than the live one. The characters of Romeo and Juliet were deepened and given a new life. While at the same time still staying true to the key elements of the play. I also loved the cinematography of the film and how it once again made this hundreds of year old story feel new and interesting.