Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 British-Italian romantic tragedy film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. The film was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, and stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey.. Two families of Verona, the Montagues and the Capulets, have been feuding with each other for years. Young Romeo Montague goes out with his friends to make trouble at a party the Capulets are hosting, but while there he spies the Capulet's daughter Juliet, and falls hopelessly in love with her.
Italian director Franco Zeffirelli stunned the screen world when he cast two young unknowns to portray the star-crossed lovers in Romeo & Juliet, but it was a gamble that resulted in one of the most popular motion pictures of all time.. Go to parent directory.