Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Romeo and Juliet is a 1968 British-Italian romance film based on the tragic play of the same name (1591–95) by William Shakespeare. The film was directed and co-written by Franco Zeffirelli, and starred Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. It won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (Pasqualino De Santis) and Best Costume Design (Danilo Donati); it was also nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. Laurence Olivier spoke the film's prologue and epilogue and reportedly dubbed the voice of the Italian actor playing Lord Montague, but was not credited in the film.
Being the most financially successful film of a Shakespeare play during that time, it was popular among teenagers partly because the film used actors who were close to the age of the characters from the original play for the first time. Several critics also welcomed the film enthusiastically.

In 1985 I was a student at an isolated rural high school, 3 hours west by car from Brisbane in Australia. The main focus of life at Oakey High School was the school rugby league team. I was not really so interested, although I did try to fit in. Mostly unsuccessfully. My English teacher showed us this film and I was blown away. This was Shakespeare as I had never imagined it; tough, rowdy, sexy, dusty and intense. I asked to borrow the VHS cassette and watch it alone in a classroom one lunch hour, and my English teacher allowed me to. Barbara Hunter was her name. Thanks for that Ms Hunter.