10 Best Romeo & Juliet Movies

Director: Franco Zeffirelli. Starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is considered by many to be the definitive film version. It stays faithful to the original play, with gorgeous costumes, authentic Italian locations and an emotionally gripping telling. Hussey and Whiting, both teenagers at the time, bring youth and passion to their roles, making the tragic love extra heartbreaking. It won Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography.

Director: Baz Luhrmann. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Luhrmann's dynamic, explosive version sets the classic story in a modern, chaotic city while keeping Shakespeare's original language. The feud between Montagues and Capulets becomes gang warfare with guns instead of swords, and the film bursts with visual energy and iconic music. DiCaprio and Danes have great chemistry, making it one of the most emotionally powerful versions.

Directors: Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. This legendary musical moves Romeo & Juliet to 1950s New York, where two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, are at each other's throats. Tony and Maria's love is as forbidden and tragic as Romeo and Juliet's, with beautiful music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It became a blockbuster and won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture.

Director: Kelly Asbury. Voices: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt. This playful animated film turns Romeo & Juliet into a fairy-tale world of garden ornaments: Gnomeo and Juliet are garden gnomes from rival gardens whose love causes chaos in the flowerbeds. The tone is lighter and funnier, but the theme of forbidden love and family feuds remains. With music by Elton John, it's a surprisingly fun and creative retelling.

Director: Jonathan Levine. Starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. An original and bizarre twist on Romeo & Juliet in which the romance between a zombie (R) and a human (Julie) drives the story, complete with a balcony scene. It combines horror, romance and humor and offers a fresh take on forbidden love, with witty dialogue and unexpectedly emotional moments.

Director: Lloyd Kaufman. Starring Will Keenan and Jane Jensen. For fans of bizarre, gory, over-the-top comedy, this Troma film is an essential cult movie. This chaotic, violent and absurd adaptation features excessive effects, strange twists and plenty of black humor. Shakespeare's language makes way for anarchic dialogue, but it remains a daring and memorable adaptation.

Director: Alan Brown. Starring Seth Numrich and Matt Doyle. This indie film sets the classic story at a military academy, where forbidden love blossoms between two young male cadets. It keeps Shakespeare's original text but uses minimalist settings and subtle visual metaphors to give the story an intense, modern character.

Director: Renato Castellani. Starring Laurence Harvey and Susan Shentall. This British-Italian production won the Golden Lion in Venice and is known for its gorgeous Technicolor cinematography and stylish staging, inspired by Renaissance painting. Less famous than Zeffirelli's version, but one of the most visually impressive classic Shakespeare adaptations.

Director: Carlo Carlei. Starring Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld. This version tries to balance classic and modern elements, with beautiful costumes and settings but dialogue adapted by Julian Fellowes for a contemporary audience. It lacks the impact of earlier versions but offers an accessible, romantic take on the story.

Director: Michael Nunn. Dancers: William Bracewell and Francesca Hayward. This film uses no dialogue at all, telling the story entirely through dance and movement, based on Kenneth MacMillan's ballet to Sergei Prokofiev's music. With breathtaking choreography and expressive performances, it's a completely unique, artistic interpretation.