“Romeo and Juliet” / 「ロミオとジュリエット」, Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1967, Renato Castellani / Susan Shentall / Laurence Harvey, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) D285
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical re-release poster for Romeo and Juliet / 「ロミオとジュリエット」, Renato Castellani’s acclaimed adaptation of William Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy.
Although the film was originally released in 1954, this Japanese poster dates to the film’s 1967 Japanese theatrical re-release, identifiable by the Nippon Herald Films branding and period Japanese release design. It is a beautiful and highly elegant Japanese poster, distinguished by its romantic composition, soft pastel colour palette, and large dramatic Japanese title typography.
Film background
Directed by Renato Castellani, Romeo and Juliet is a British-Italian cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of doomed young love. The film stars Susan Shentall as Juliet and Laurence Harvey as Romeo.
Celebrated for its pictorial beauty, period atmosphere, and lyrical treatment of the source material, the film was highly acclaimed on release and won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Its reputation rests on its richly romantic visual style and its attempt to present Shakespeare’s tragedy with painterly sincerity and classical grace.
Poster design
This Japanese B2 poster has a refined, melancholic, and deeply romantic visual tone. Juliet is placed at the centre of the composition, looking downward with a sorrowful expression, dressed in a voluminous pink Renaissance-style gown. Her hands are clasped gently at her chest, giving the image a devotional, almost saint-like quality.
At lower right, Romeo’s profile appears in shadow, gazing upward toward Juliet. Behind them, pale classical architecture — stone columns, arches, and a fading portico — creates an atmosphere of memory, romance, and tragedy.
The title 「ロミオとジュリエット」 is printed in enormous dark brown Japanese lettering across the upper half of the poster. Its sharp, elongated forms contrast beautifully with the softness of Juliet’s dress and the faded architectural background.
The upper Japanese copy describes the film as a tragic and pure story of two souls bound by fate, while the right-side credits identify Laurence Harvey, Susan Shentall, Flora Robson, and Norman Wooland, with Renato Castellani credited as director and Shakespeare as original author.
The overall design is elegant and restrained: romantic, classical, and distinctly Japanese in its typography and balance of space.
Release identification
This poster should be catalogued as the 1967 Japanese theatrical re-release B2 poster.
The film itself premiered in the 1950s, but the Japanese poster’s release markings and Nippon Herald Films branding indicate this later Japanese theatrical campaign. It is therefore an original vintage Japanese cinema poster from the film’s re-release period, not a modern reproduction or decorative print.
Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photograph carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.
The poster presents beautifully, with soft colour, elegant photographic imagery, clean Japanese title typography, and excellent overall display impact. Only light signs of age, storage, or handling are visible, consistent with careful preservation of an original 1960s Japanese theatrical poster.
This is an original 1967 Japanese theatrical re-release B2 poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 55 years old.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
