Over the holidays I finally got myself to watch a movie,
a movie based on a play that has haunted most of my childhood, and was flaunted
around by the media to haunt most of the years after that; Romeo and Juliet. I
have passed my own misguided judgments in the past about the play, mainly to
mask the hurt and shame as to the reality of the matter; which was that not
only had I, for most of my life, wanted to read the play but not been able to
do so, but I had also never seen a movie based on the play until now. But I
digress. This piece serves as my partially informed review on what I deem one
of the greatest love stories ever told by far.
The movie starts with the introduction of the two rival
families to which our star-crossed lovers belong; Montague and Capulet. Events
quickly run down to the moment where Juliet and Romeo meet; at a masquerade
ball thrown by her father. And even through the masks, they are drawn to each
other; the beauty of their souls radiate through the impermeable masks; love at
first sight. And later, through the night breeze Juliet’s words are carried to
Romeo’s wanting ears; “Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”
Now this was a profound moment for me. Why? Because on
the surface, it may look like a typical moment; a teenage girl developing a
crush on a boy. Normally one tends to wonder what their crush is up to blah
blah. But I don’t believe that this was the case here. I believe this is the
moment that Juliet’s love for Romeo blossomed. Two souls yearning and calling
out to each other; a love connection.
Now this brings me to the chief lesson I got from the
movie, the meaning of death:
No doubt the ending to Romeo and Juliet’s love story was
tragic, as truthfully told throughout history, but beautiful nonetheless. I’ll
admit to my own guilt, I was hoping Juliet would take the knife and end it, so
that she could eternally be with her love.
Now this begs the
questions; what do we think death is? To humanity, what does it symbolize? If
anything, the play of Romeo and Juliet confirms the duality of man’s existence
as body and soul. It creates a picture of existence in eternity and death as
the doorway to that. I came to an epiphany that death is not an ending, but a
beginning. The beginning to something grander than life, an existence without a
time-limit, eternity. And what is to mar the beauty of eternity? For in life we
live en-caged by our own bodies, having to subdue fleshly powers such as our
fleeting emotions. But in death our true nature, who we really are is released.
No more pretentious beauty, no more prejudice based on looks. We get to feel
the wave of the eternal brush against our souls, our senses more alive than
ever. I believe in an eternity that has been created and sustained by love. The
two exist together like a twofold cord, but one as the powerful product of the
other. Love is a powerful force that created eternity, and the day love runs
out is the day eternity seizes to exist.
In the end, the ending
of the play can be deemed as sad or beautiful depending on one’s own views or
beliefs concerning eternal existence. Shakespeare painted a beautiful word
picture; a story of love and eternity. Two of the most controversial topics
forever to be discussed by human kind mixed into one. I believe in God who is
love and the existence of eternity. And therefore I think Shakespeare’s “Romeo
and Juliet” is by far one of the most beautiful love stories ever told, and has
the best ending ever.
