Another amazing masterpiece by Bourne. The Romeo + Juliet story has been told and retold many times -- a romance between two very young protagonists with raging hormones opposed by societal forces. Bourne's plot loosely mirrors Shakespeare. "But without exterior agents to propel the plot, and with the variables of mental trauma as motivation, the greater resonance of Shakespeare’s tragedy are sacrificed. There is no real causality between the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt and the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, no sense of the everlasting inability to let go of hatred and fear. Then, in the final scenes, Mr. Bourne takes a disconcerting departure from Shakespeare that changes our sense of the story from tragedy to accident, and of the protagonists from courageous rebels to tormented victims." [NY Times. Read full review]
No matter. That I didn't get all the nuances of Bourne's story doesn't really matter. It's the imagery of the dance itself that excited me.
I do admit to a twinge of disappointment. The costuming lacked eroticism, and the set was short on inspiration.
+4/5 Review: Guardian [Lyndsey Winship 11 August 2019] +4/5 Review: Guardian [Sarah Crompton 18 Aug 2019] + Review: NY Times [Roslyn Sulcas Aug. 11, 2019]
