The Balcony Scene

All four of the balcony scenes that I watched portrayed the overall idea very well. I believe that all of them were good in their own way, though some displayed a more certain feeling than the others. Each of the scenes were attached to different moods in their extreme. My favorite out of the four was the 1968 film because it was the most romanticized out of them all. You could tell the director really wanted the audience to capture the idea of "love at first sight." Romeo and Juliet were both softer looking characters, and spoke with lighter, more fluttery tones. That scene displayed how the two protagonists could not care less about what was going on around them. They were completely infatuated with each other, but in a way that made them seem "up in the clouds." They were extremely happy and distracted, which is how I envision the scene when I read the book.

The Royal Shakespeare Company showed the more serious and emotionally unstable side of the scene. The characters were much more aware of the circumstances they were under with the feuding families. Romeo and Juliet went back and forth with their emotions. All of the reactions were bigger and bolder. For example: When Juliet called out Romeo's name he fell to the floor with a big thud and when Juliet heard his voice for the first time, she raised her voice at Romeo in a more angry tone. Everything about the characters in the scene was bigger and emphasized. It was executed well,  but it was also busy when it came to examining the characters.

The Gnomeo and Juliet adaptation was very cute and simple. I liked how the lines were modernized, but Juliet's speech was still poetic. I believe that the concept of the scene was portrayed well, but in a more condensed, simplified manner. The scene did not stay true to the play itself, but gave a goofy, feel-good vibe. This versions showed Romeo as clumsy and very imperfect. I enjoyed that this scene showed how Romeo and Juliet would act in a more modern way. Both of the characters gave very real reactions to what was occurring in the scene.

The Romeo+Juliet version of the scene was very busy. It is my least favorite out of the four because it had too much going on as far as the characters emotions, props, and stage direction. It successfully showed off the love the two protagonists have for each other, but lacks in overall delivery. It is hard for me as a reader to begin with, to understand shakespeare. It was even more difficult when the characters are over the top, and the setting itself is distracting. Romeo and Juliet even ended up in the pool at one point, and were kissing in between lines, which made it harder to analyze what they were saying and relate it back to the overall concept.

Overall all of the adaptations portrayed the scene well, but my favorite ones were more clear-cut and simple. It made it easy for me to understand and relate the scene back to what I have been reading.