| The best discussion of the adaptation I've heard. I especially loved hearing that Kushner went back to R&J, to ascertain the period-specific limitations on the original Tony and Maria. The Juliet-Maria analysis is stunning, as we might expect. As is his breakdown of the steps of the romantic story proper, from physical infatuation to fully understood love. I had never really contemplate the stages, but must agree on the success of the new film: it has a small internal arc. He manages to be appropriately critical of the limitations yet never less than reverential toward the original's ironic cultural impact (as a boomer who saw the film as a child, I can attest). And I loved the report on the final sequence, how it was adjusted in production without consultation. And it's gratifying to know that Kushner's ego was momentarily bruised with Spielberg making substantial changes sans Kushner's opinion. Kushner acknowledges that it's a director's call in film, and in revealing his own artistic vulnerability in that moment, we learn something new about both men. Wonderful 30 minutes. |
