Alright, this one might be cheating a bit, but it does contain a good portion of Romeo and Juliet, as well as a little bit of its plot. So you could say that it’s not so much based “on” a Shakespeare play, but more so that it’s based “around” a Shakespeare play.
Shakespeare in Love remains one of my favorite films of all time for many reasons: the seamless integration of one of the Bard’s most beloved plays, the brilliant performances, the gorgeous production design, its marvelous sense of humor, and simply because it is a delightful story that mixes drama, comedy, and romance perfectly.
Any fan of Shakespeare will find themselves absolutely enthralled with the film as it gives us a fictitious account of how Romeo and Juliet came to be written. They’ll also be the ones picking up the throwaway lines that appear in various plays (a preacher shouts “A plague on both their houses,” a reference to Romeo and Juliet, while another character tells a nurse to “Get you to my lady’s chamber,” a line from Hamlet).
Bringing up Shakespeare in Love can still be a somewhat touchy subject with people, as there are still those that are upset that it beat out Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture of 1998. However, as I’ve said over the years since, there is a reason they chose Shakespeare. It’s simply the better film and holds up much better on repeat viewings. That’s not to say Ryan isn’t a great film, it is, but more so because of its stunning opening scene featuring the Invasion of Normandy, after which, the film becomes somewhat standard.
Shakespeare in Love is one of those films that I could watch every single day and never get bored with it. The outstanding ensemble cast, featuring Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck, Colin Firth, Imelda Staunton, and Mark Williams, is one of the best ever assembled (it’s worth noting they also took the SAG award for Best Ensemble that year). As I’ve mentioned, the film was also a big hit at the Oscars, winning seven out of its 13 nominations (including Best Picture, Best Actress (Paltrow), Best Supporting Actress (Dench), and Best Original Screenplay (Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard)).
If for some reason you have yet to see it, do yourself one of the biggest cinematic favors you could possibly do and check it out immediately. You won’t be disappointed.
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