The story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet had been filmed many times
prior to director Franco Zeffirelli's acclaimed 1968 version. Earlier
versions were hampered by the casting of actors in the title roles who were old enough to be in nursing homes. However, Zeffirelli cast
actual teenagers in the parts: 17 year old Leonard Whiting and 16 year
old Olivia Hussey. Zeffirelli also took advantage of the artistic
freedoms afforded filmmakers in the 1960s and depicted for the first
time the sexual desires of the two lovers.The result was a box-office
hit that appealed not only to critics but also to a younger generation
that could finally identify with the actors cast in the key roles. (For actor Michael York's exclusive interview about co-starring in Romeo and Juliet, see Cinema Retro issue #6)
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