5. Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)
If I were a producer and someone came to me pitching an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet where they are all garden gnomes instead of people, with Elton John’s discography playing throughout… I’m not sure I’d have seen the vision. Despite this, Gnomeo and Juliet pulls it off in this hilarious animated version of the classic love story. Unsurprisingly, this one does not include the original devastating violence and tragic ending, but it is impressive how closely certain parts of the film stay true to Shakespeare. Gnome Tybalt somehow comes close to capturing the malevolence of the actual “Prince of Cats”. Every time I watch this film, I spot amusing new easter-eggs, such as the house numbers being “2B” and “Not 2B.” It is clear that they wanted to appeal to adult audiences just as much as the children for whom the film is the target demographic.
4. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
This might be higher on my list if the film’s source material didn’t seem so misogynistic. As much as this 90s adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew makes for an iconic romantic comedy, it is hard to forget that the original text is centred around the transformation of its outspoken, feisty heroine into a demure, obedient wife, which leaves a bad taste in the mouths of modern audiences. Still, Heath Ledger is effortlessly charming, and the poem Kat (Julia Stiles) reads towards the end is cheesy and touching simultaneously. If we put aside the somewhat degrading plot that inspired the film, 10 Things I Hate About You is a fun and youthful Shakespeare adaptation whose enduring popularity is well-deserved.
3. She’s the Man (2006)
The onstage comedy of an actor disguising themself as the opposite sex was never going to land quite as well in high-definition cinema, but She’s the Man remains a noble effort at translating Twelfth Night into a 2000s teenage rom-com. It follows the basic premise of the original, with Viola pretending to be a boy and fooling those around her, though this time, she wants to play for the school football team, not find work after a disastrous shipwreck. Casting Channing Tatum as a teenager was a questionable choice given his age; he appears somewhat out of place in the secondary school setting. Overall, this film doesn’t take itself too seriously and uses the scaffolding of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies to tell a light-hearted tale filled with likeable, funny characters.
2. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
“Mr Shakespeare” himself, Kenneth Branagh, does what he does best in this oh-so-Shakespearean adaptation of the Bard’s celebrated comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The cast is studded with Hollywood stars, from Denzel Washington to Keanu Reeves, but Branagh and his then-wife as Benedick and Beatrice steal the show with their unmatched chemistry. Emma Thompson’s Beatrice is a dazzling performance of wit and vulnerability. It is a classic, dreamy adaptation that stays true to the source material whilst achieving a timeless charm that captures the hearts of its audiences. Not only is it Kenneth Branagh’s best on-screen Shakespeare adaptation, but only narrowly loses out on being the best of them all.
1. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
None other could take the top spot than Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 masterpiece Romeo + Juliet. Everything about this film is phenomenal; Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are the perfect pair to play the infamous star-crossed lovers, the use of Shakespearean language in modern LA somehow works incredibly well, and the masterful soundtrack tops it all off. The film fades to black after a gut-punch of a finale, Radiohead’s “Exit Music (for a Film)” playing after the bleak tragedy you always knew was coming. Romeo + Juliet is for the masses. It achieves the tremendous feat of detaching Shakespeare from its traditionally high-brow status while simultaneously honouring the tone and language of the original text. I like to think that if Shakespeare were alive today, he would be particularly fond of this sensationally daring version of his beloved Romeo and Juliet.
Image “Romeo + Juliet Postcard” by happyhipposnacks is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.