Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2017 December 30

= December 30 =

Romeo and Juliet (1968 film) - 2 removed scenes
Unlike the 2013 film version, why did the 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet left out two scenes from the play?

1. Romeo buying the poison.

2. Romeo duelling Count Paris and killing him. 5.81.142.7 (talk) 21:11, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Have you tried writing to the 1968 film's producers? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:46, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
 * You've offered that suggestion in the past. It seems even more unhelpful than usual in this case as both producers (and the guy who wrote the movie's screenplay) are long in the grave. The director is now 95 and retired. The IMDb is not a reliable source, but the trivia section regarding the film does mention that the fight with Paris scene is discussed in a Paramount Pictures' souvenir book: According to Paramount Pictures' souvenir book, it appears Zeffirelli either filmed and cut or at least intended to film the scene where Paris confronts Romeo at Juliet's tomb and is killed by him in a sword fight. Fencing master Niccolo Pena was engaged to train Leonard Whiting, Michael York, John McEnery and Roberto Bisacco, the actor who played Paris. The book states, "Romeo, Tybalt, Mercutio ad Paris all get into trouble through their haste to draw a sword." It goes on to mention that Whiting was given an authentic Renaissance sword to use in the film. Maybe that book could be tracked down? The trivia page also mentions there's another cut scene: Along with the fight between Romeo and Paris, the scene where Romeo reads the party's guest list, discovering that Rosaline would be in attendance, was also cut from the final version. Matt Deres (talk) 14:03, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * "It appears that..." is certainly definitive sourcing. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 17:00, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * Well, it's certainly more helpful than suggesting a fucking séance. Matt Deres (talk) 16:21, 1 January 2018 (UTC)
 * I don't recall suggesting a séance of any kind, let alone an orgy. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 19:58, 1 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Mere seconds of research on the world's greatest encyclopedia, with the links helpfully provided by the question-asker, would have told you that writing the producers, as you suggested, would be a pretty dumb thing to do unless your postman can part the veil and deliver letters to the hereafter. ApLundell (talk) 15:16, 2 January 2018 (UTC)


 * There are three main reasons for cutting scenes from films. 1. Because you think the film is better without that scene (rather presumptuous when filming Shakespeare). 2. Because the film is getting too long - and at 138 minutes this was a very long film for that period. 3. Because you are worried that the sex or violence in a scene will mean an older age rating - and this was a film aimed at a teenage audience. Wymspen (talk) 13:31, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * But it also has a famous implied sex scene with brief nudity. At least, this was a very famous scene when we watched it in grade 9 English class. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:35, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * That's the bit where any teacher worth his or her salt says "Children, avert your eyes". --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  20:14, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * That always works well. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:04, 31 December 2017 (UTC)
 * We were shown bote the Zeffirelli film and Cabaret in the ninth grade. We had to get a permission slip signed in order to watch R&J without having to leave the room.  Of course the homosexual and abortion themes of Cabaret were not deemed as needing parental permission, although they were far more controversial topics for children.  We also watched The Holy Grail in history class, which just "happened" to be at the end of another movie we watched, A Man for All Seasons.  The teacher (who's now a county superintendent) walked out of the room, saying he "had business to attend to."  Of course we stopped the movie and resumed it the next day when he faced another "pressing matter" and left us in charge of the VHS player. μηδείς (talk) 22:53, 31 December 2017 (UTC)