Obviously, I’m going to start by talking about all the
singing and dancing in West Side Story, but I’m also going to talk about how
they really updated Shakespeare in what I think was a positive way.
Starting with the actual film, I have always really liked
West Side Story, I’m not one who typically likes musicals but something in West
Side makes me genuinely enjoy it. We also do have to remember that when we
watch it now it may seem cheesy and outdated, but that’s because it is a movie
made in the 60’s, 1961 to be exact, and nothing ever really ages that well,
there are some exceptions but only a few in the 60’s. Nothing ever holds up
that well, especially snapping and dancing through the streets of New York, but
that’s part of what makes this film (and play) so great.
One thing that I really like when comparing West Side Story
and Romeo and Juliet is how well the characters match up in the two. Obviously,
Romeo and Juliet being Tony and Maria, which I don’t think needs much
explaining. I see Doc as a Friar Lawrence type character who has more of a role
as protecting the two compared to Friar Lawrence somewhat harming Romeo and
Juliet. Riff is very much like Mercutio, as someone who is on the side of the
Jets but can still talk to the Sharks and Bernardo. Bernardo is very much like
Tybalt, instead of being Maria’s first cousin, like Shakespeare’s play, but
instead is her older brother.
Now, why do I think West Side was such a good update of Romeo
and Juliet (for the time)? It has all the elements of the original play, except
it was changed to make it more believable for the time and make it something
that could be put as a film as well as a play (and was obviously successful in
both forms). The creators were able to make the characters connect to more
modern (in 1961) day Americans, not wealthy British teenagers in the later 1500’s.
I mean it is a much better representation of teenagers than two early
adolescents complaining about why they can’t be together all the time. It also
gets away from the original script and its early modern English, and uses
modern language and slang, helping people, including me, understand more and
make it more enjoyable to watch.
I guess I may be in the minority of many of my peers and
others however, I really enjoy West Side Story.
Grayson, I appreciate your interpretation of the musical. I agree, there is something about the singing and dancing that makes this movie satisfying to watch. Also, I think what makes this play a great adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is the fact that the director(s) knew what to take out, add, and keep, making it original. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteIn high school, my class read Macbeth as a comic book, making it easier, and more fun to consume compared to reading the boring ole book. I like to think of West Side Story as the same motive for Romeo and Juliet, making Shakespeare easier for modern people in 1961. Pretty good post here :-).
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