this be the first of the complete dramatic work of william shakespeare bbc series i have see and and if all of them be like this and i might watch no more . be practically the full text of the play be everything this romeo and juliet have go for it and lack in all other department . alvin rakoff reveals himself a a dreadful director and both in the technical and artistic aspect . in the former and because he commit mistake that even a first grade film student would wisely avoid . take in consideration and for example and the badly edit first shot of abraham and balthasar in the opening scene and or the nurse entering of friar lawrence cell and ask where romeo with him be so very in front of her that she would clearly see him even if she be blind . and and in the latter and because every single one of the performer be misdirect and even if some of them be good actor . rebecca saire look exactly the way i have always imagine juliet to look like and and she doesn not seem to be a bad actress for a teenager and but her performance totally lack passion of any kind . patrick ryecart a romeo be even bad and be not only as dull a juliet and but also way too old and not even good look and come across a a combination of malcolm mcdowell and the chucky doll . put them together make impossible to think they feel anything for each other and let alone be the main player of the great love story ever write . alan rickman and in his screen debut and play tybalt like if he be darth vader and which be a huge mistake that take away the complexity that shakespeare intend and no character be a hero or a villain but all flaw human being . this tybalt be so mean look that we do not believe the character pity after his demise . a for paris and i keep thinking of prince valium from spaceballs . only celia johnson manages to do the character of the nurse some justice . at 168 minute and this production be unable to make u empathize with the character and because the character do not empathize with each other and never see to believe their own role . the best screen version be still franco zeffirelli . but and to be fair and this bbc one isn not nearly as bad a abomination like george cukor flamboyant geriatric version and or the crime against humanity that be baz luhrmann feature length mtv video . 4/10 .