The noble Veronese houses of Montague and Capulet are locked in a bitter feud. When Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love they are swept up in a series of violent events and cruel twists of fortune.

Franco Zeffirelli's sublime adaptation starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting and featuring a score by Nino Rota and Oscar-winning costumes and cinematography is Shakespeare at its most deeply felt and passionately alive.