Claire Danes in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

Discuss former or new projects of Claire Danes ("Angela Chase") in this forum.
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Natasha (candygirl)
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Nov 21st 2002, 8:21 pm

Kristin wrote:Funny, it reminds me of when Ewan McGregor is crying at the end of Moulin Rouge. Same thing. Hmm...both Baz Luhrman (sp?) Red Curtain films. Baz possibly has a thing for ending movies this way? :wink:
I think Baz has a thing for tragedies (see also: La Boheme), but I can't say I blame him. There's something so cathartic (in a masochistic way) to KNOW you will be manipulated into crying at the end but just doing it anyway.

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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Nov 21st 2002, 8:26 pm

So-Called Angel wrote:
Megs wrote: Remember, Juliet is a young teenager, and young girls cry like that.
They do? :shock: I can honestly and happily say that I did not cry like this when I was a young teenager. And I don't remember any of my friends doing so either!!!!! BTW, I did say in my previous post that no one is attractive when they cry.
Count yourself lucky that you never felt like the world was crashing down on you but you had to try valiantly to hold it in and then BAM the floodgates opened.

The way Claire Danes cried in Romeo and Juliet is the way people cry unabashedly when no one is looking or when they are so distraught that they just don't care. When someone you love dies, the last thing you are worried about is how ugly you look - all you care about is that there is a hole in your heart that will never go away. You cry until your eyes are swollen and your throat hurts and the snot is everywhere but you still can't breathe through your nose and YOU DON'T CARE because the pain inside supersedes everything else.

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Post by Megs » Nov 21st 2002, 9:31 pm

What candygirl said.

Of course, not ALL young teenage girls cry like that when people can see. I cried like that only when I was alone. I guess not everyone can relate to everything.
candygirl wrote:
So-Called Angel wrote:
Megs wrote: Remember, Juliet is a young teenager, and young girls cry like that.
They do? :shock: I can honestly and happily say that I did not cry like this when I was a young teenager. And I don't remember any of my friends doing so either!!!!! BTW, I did say in my previous post that no one is attractive when they cry.
Count yourself lucky that you never felt like the world was crashing down on you but you had to try valiantly to hold it in and then BAM the floodgates opened.

The way Claire Danes cried in Romeo and Juliet is the way people cry unabashedly when no one is looking or when they are so distraught that they just don't care. When someone you love dies, the last thing you are worried about is how ugly you look - all you care about is that there is a hole in your heart that will never go away. You cry until your eyes are swollen and your throat hurts and the snot is everywhere but you still can't breathe through your nose and YOU DON'T CARE because the pain inside supersedes everything else.
"I have all these dreams where I know exactly what to say. And you tell me, you know, that you forgive me."

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fav moment

Post by crimsonglowgurl » Nov 22nd 2002, 1:45 am

My fav moment is definitely when they exhchange looks across the fish tank in the beginning *sigh* how CUTE!!!

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Post by Guest » Nov 22nd 2002, 2:45 am

candygirl wrote:
So-Called Angel wrote:
Megs wrote: Remember, Juliet is a young teenager, and young girls cry like that.
They do? :shock: I can honestly and happily say that I did not cry like this when I was a young teenager. And I don't remember any of my friends doing so either!!!!! BTW, I did say in my previous post that no one is attractive when they cry.
Count yourself lucky that you never felt like the world was crashing down on you but you had to try valiantly to hold it in and then BAM the floodgates opened.

The way Claire Danes cried in Romeo and Juliet is the way people cry unabashedly when no one is looking or when they are so distraught that they just don't care. When someone you love dies, the last thing you are worried about is how ugly you look - all you care about is that there is a hole in your heart that will never go away. You cry until your eyes are swollen and your throat hurts and the snot is everywhere but you still can't breathe through your nose and YOU DON'T CARE because the pain inside supersedes everything else.
I really don't believe that one comment about Claire Danes' stupid crying scene in Romeo and Juliet has come to this. I guess it's true what they say - you're never safe from surprises until you're dead.

So, I suppose I'll have to justify my comments......

First of all, you're saying that I should count myself lucky that I've never "felt like the world was crashing down on me" etc - how do you know what I've felt? And then you go on to tell me what it feels like "when someone you love dies" - like I really need you to tell me.

Secondly, when I said that Claire looks ugly when she cries I meant she looks ugly when she cries. It was just an observation. Who knows, maybe that's how I look when I cry, the point is, I still think she's ugly. It's just my opinion and I'm entitled to it just as you're entitled to yours.

Third of all, you say that the way Claire Danes cried in R&J is how people cry when they're distraught. Well, just because someone doesn't make a lot of noise when they cry, or just because they don't cry hysterically doesn't mean they aren't as upset, or distraught, or in as much pain as the person who does. It's not a case of "who makes the most noise wins". So just because you might make a lot of noise when you cry doesn't mean everyone else has to. I've cried when I've been distraught before and I haven't made a sound, except for sniffling.

And last of all, don't you think that you are taking this all a bit too seriuosly? It's a movie, it's not real, and she's acting. All I said was that Claire crying in that scene is funny, it's not like I'm laughing at a real person crying in real situation. And I said she looked ugly which is true!

So if you don't like my comments, or you think I'm immature, well tough, because to be quite honest, I don't care.

BTW, since most of us have cried before, I really think you could have left out the snot references.

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Post by So-Called Angel » Nov 22nd 2002, 2:57 am

No surprises here, but the "Guest" was actually me - I forgot to login after being cut off. Ooops!
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Nov 22nd 2002, 4:56 am

So-Called Angel wrote:So if you don't like my comments, or you think I'm immature, well tough, because to be quite honest, I don't care.

BTW, since most of us have cried before, I really think you could have left out the snot references.
I didn't think you were immature until those two sentences.

You are taking this way too personally. You are the one who said that you could "happily" say that you had never cried like that, so I made the assumption that you have lived without the kind of pain that would cause that sort of crying. I am basing this on my personal experience because I have had to witness my fair share of mourning and none of my friends or relatives were able to control their grief indefinitely. Every single one of them broke down at one time or another. Yes, people mourn differently and people cry differently, but I have watched sons and daughters mourn their parents, men and women mourning their spouses, every possible combination and that moment when they lose control and cry like there's no tomorrow came for all of them. If you have never cried like that, then you should still count yourself lucky regardless of how your grief was manifested.

You are entitled to your opinion (I never disagreed that Claire is unattractive when she cries), but it seems silly to get upset about this - there is no need to be so defensive about it. Everyone has their own experiences, their own feelings, their ways of dealing with loss, and their ways of expressing their emotions. Let's just leave it at that.

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Post by So-Called Angel » Nov 22nd 2002, 4:57 pm

candygirl wrote: Everyone has their own experiences, their own feelings, their ways of dealing with loss, and their ways of expressing their emotions. Let's just leave it at that.

Yes, we'll leave it at that.

On a lighter note....

I thought I'd watch R&J again yesterday since we'd been discussing it. Towards the end, yes, the part where Juliet wakes up and Romeo has just taken the poison, my 7 year old son runs in after being picked up from school and sits down on the lounge next to me.

"What's this, Mummy?" he asks.
"Romeo and Juliet" I reply, getting ready to stop the tape before she shoots herself.
The next thing he jumps up from the lounge and starts yelling "Mummy, Mummy, that's Angela Chase!"

:oops: He's scarred for life, I'm sure.
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Post by Megs » Nov 22nd 2002, 5:18 pm

So-Called Angel wrote:"Mummy, Mummy, that's Angela Chase!"

:oops: He's scarred for life, I'm sure.
A Mini-Lifer! :D
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Post by So-Called Angel » Nov 22nd 2002, 5:24 pm

Megs wrote:
So-Called Angel wrote:"Mummy, Mummy, that's Angela Chase!"

:oops: He's scarred for life, I'm sure.
A Mini-Lifer! :D
I must admit, I was proud!
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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Nov 22nd 2002, 6:27 pm

The only thing that even comes close is the 3 year old daughter of a coworker who was quoting "Better Off Dead" - when I realized what she was saying, I was speechless.

Then I did wonder about letting a 3 year old watch that movie. I love John Cusack and all, but I'm thinking about waiting until they're at least 4 to see that particular movie.

:wink:

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Post by So-Called Angel » Nov 23rd 2002, 5:53 pm

I've never seen "Better Off Dead" - is it really bad?

Yeah, my hubby and I try to be careful with what we let our son watch.
Last edited by So-Called Angel on Jan 7th 2007, 2:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Bubba » Dec 3rd 2002, 3:52 am

Romeo + Juliet. A great film, in my humble opinion.

The comparisons between R+J and Moulin Rouge are plentiful - from the gender bending to the giant "L'amour" sign - but I think Moulin Rouge is ultimately a more satisfying movie.

(Yeah, I'm an MR fan, as if my signature doesn't give it away.)

(Still need to see Strictly Ballroom...)

(Flora Plum: Claire Danes and Ewan McGregor. Freaking Perfect.)

(How many Jedi is she going to work with?)

R+J's gimmick of Shakespeare's dialogue in a pseudo-modern world was used to convey meaning; MR's gimmick of reworked pop songs was used to create emotional resonance. While the former had the task of explaining the plot, the latter could focus on building the audience's response. R+J simply had the harder task.

That said, it did its job very well. The visuals did help explain the story, as did the excellent soundtrack. The supporting actors were great, particularly Friar Laurence and the Nurse ("Hooliet!"). And I'd say R+J showed DiCaprio's best acting to date.

(Darn shame, by the way, that DiCaprio hasn't yet done more to challenge himself as an actor. Brad Pitt rose above the "pretty boy" status with Seven, The Devil's Own, and Fight Club. DiCaprio has the chance this December with a Scorcese film AND a Spielberg film.)

And then there's Claire.

Claire. Claire. Claire.

She was drop dead gorgeous in the famous "bathroom" scene and realistically, erm, upset in Friar Laurence's cell and the final scene. She handled her role with a great deal of maturity - and STILL looked very innocent waiting for her wedding night.

She's also responsible for my favorite scene in the movie:

"What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man
."


When she looks up at the end of this sentence, I understand just how dirty Wm. Shakespeare really was. :D
Truth. Beauty. Freedom. And above all things... Love.

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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Dec 3rd 2002, 4:56 am

Bubba wrote:(Darn shame, by the way, that DiCaprio hasn't yet done more to challenge himself as an actor. Brad Pitt rose above the "pretty boy" status with Seven, The Devil's Own, and Fight Club. DiCaprio has the chance this December with a Scorcese film AND a Spielberg film.)
I don't know - I thought that Leonardo DiCaprio proved himself to be more than a pretty boy early on with challenging roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, This Boy's Life, and The Basketball Diaries.

Brad Pitt was also excellent in Twelve Monkeys. Suffice to say Legends of the Fall was good too. Seriously, ignore his long hair and he gives a great performance as a tortured, complex man. Even some of my straight male friends admit that Legends of the Fall was Brad Pitt at his best.

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Post by Bubba » Dec 3rd 2002, 12:09 pm

Mea culpa; I forgot about his earlier work. BUT, I still think that DiCaprio would have been better served to do more challenging stuff after the great performance in R+J and the mediocre performance in Titanic. He may be making up for it now, and I hope it works out.
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