“PRIVATE ROMEO”– Inspired by Shakespeare

Amos ♦ May 29, 2011 ♦ 1 Comment

“Private Romeo”

Inspired by Shakespeare

Amos Lassen

 

We are very lucky to have such a creative community and I have to hand it to director Alan Brown for the ingenious idea for his new film, “Private Romeo”. He takes the “Romeo and Juliet” idea and updates it to make it relevant for us and the whole concept is amazing.

 

Eight cadets who are left behind at an isolated military high school find that the story of Romeo and Juliet becomes part of their lives. They take the original text and add You Tube videos, Indie rock music and their own ideas and we go to a very mysterious and private place. Being attracted to another cadet at a military school can be very dangerous but as we all know, there are no boundaries when it comes to love.

 

McKinley Military Academy becomes a place where romance and trouble walk hand in hand as the cadets there prepare a modern retelling of a classic love story. Everything starts in a classroom where the student cadets read “Romeo and Juliet” and then the plot leaves the academic study and becomes a way for the boys to actually live out the play. The cadets become the characters in the drama and they quickly divide themselves between the Montagues and the Capulets. The first kiss is dreamy but the two characters involved sense that they want more than a kiss. Juliet, our male student and Romeo, another male student listen to their hearts and ignore the stares they get from their fellow students. As the two families feud, the students experience forbidden love and “All’s Well That Ends Well”.

Some of the original dialogue is kept in the film and we become aware how relevant Shakespeare is even today. Interestingly enough is that director Brown only cast Shakespearean trained actors in his film and we see some very fine acting and this is want males this movie so special. Mercutio played by Hale Appleman is brilliant and Broadway stars Matt Doyle and Seth Numrich are ideal as the young lovers.