West Side Story Revisited: Police, Privilege, and Pride (Video essay)

"West Side Story" is a 1957 musical, a 1961 feature film that won TEN Academy Awards (starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn), and an upcoming Steven Spielberg film starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria, respectively.
This video essay revisits the 1961 film and how it approached the interactions between the Jets & Sharks with the local cops, and the supporting character Anybodys. Happy Pride!
This video contains spoilers.
Credits:
→ "West Side Story" (1961): United Artists
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#WestSideStory #VideoEssay #Review
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[@LadyJenevia]

If you missed it, here’s my previous West Side Story video essay! - The Importance of West Side Story & Casting Rachel Zegler ​ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqu0gqCheKmcd7c If you’re new here, check out some of my other content! 😍🎬✨ - Shameik Moore and Damani Sease Interview on Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" (Season 2) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZvWnaKJgs6JoZo - Raúl Castillo INTERVIEW on Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead, Guy Ritchie's Wrath of Man, Night Teeth kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6Ssh4mIhqmAf6c - The Cultural and Storytelling Parallels of Some Like It Hot and White Chicks kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmLVXmx4gtV3rJY - Ilda Mason Interview on Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, Rachel Zegler, & Immigrant Stories kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJzGmqd9j9t5p5I - "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) Review (WITH SPOILERS) kzbin.info/www/bejne/epnFq39ojK9pr9U - Zack Snyder's Favourite Spider-Man Movie is Sam Raimi & Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5mugnasoKp3Z6c - Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Need New Spider-Man Movies kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmO6nmhmqtGoick - Chrystee Pharris Interview on Directing Aimee Victoria, Acting on Soap Operas, and 1990's Television kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4OnYoSQa8x4Z80 - Scream (2022) Review - I Figured Out Ghostface's Identity Before The Reveal kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaXdoZ2Pn8SaZtk - George Chakiris INTERVIEW on West Side Story, Gene Kelly, and The Art of Dance on Film kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaG6g62IrdKhjLM - Shadow & Bone Writer Christina Strain on How Ke Quan Inspired/Appeared in Finding 'Ohana (Interview) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2HNi6GHZt6MhLc

[@ILoveMahCat]

The 1961 version has the benefit of being contemporary to the time it was made in, which means it can show the social problems of its day and age without sensationalizing them. There’s so much subtle social commentary in the older version that’s hard for audiences to catch. What really is tragic about the minor points of solidarity that the kids have against Schrank is that it shows on some level that they’re aware of how he’s the “real bad guy” but can’t do much about it. So they still end up turning on one another.

[@TequilaToothpick]

One thing people often overlook is that the Jets aren't just a 'white gang' they are themselves immigrants of Italian, Polish and Irish heritage. In America any Italians, Irish and Polish wouldn't have been viewed as 'white' either once upon a time. It's only when compared to the Sharks that the police view the Jets as white. The Sharks themselves use racist terms for Italians, Irish and Polish. You can see the inspector sides with the Jets against the Sharks, but in the candy shop he too then puts them down when they refuse to tell him the location of the rumble and he calls them immigrants in a derogatory way. We effectively have two gangs of immigrants fighting each other rather than the racism they both encounter. Perhaps the Jets feel that by fighting the Sharks and the newer immigrant, they be accepted by the rest of America.

[@Ralfi_PoELA]

Movies especially early ones were used as national imagery for the so called "dominate society" this movie came out while Puerto Ricans were migrating to the United States in large numbers. By that time Hispanics were not seen as "Hispanic" under law they are seen as "white" along with other European Immigrants. During a time when segregation laws were at their peak Hispanic immigrants of that time went to live along with "white" citizens why in the movie they put emphasis on them moving into "their neighborhood" by the 1960's all Europeans were considered "white" and so were Hispanics who didn't really gain an ethnic identity under executive law by Richard Nixon. So that being said all "whites" would by thrn have shared the same neighborhoods even with Latinos and Hispanics even though there is and always will be heavy discrimination within what is considered the "white" race.

[@Ralfi_PoELA]

Also the movie was made directed towards Puerto Ricans that they're not seen as "white". In "white" gangs, cults, and fraternities they don't allow Puerto Ricans or any pure "white" Europeans in those types of social inner circles. However federal law does see these people as "white".

[@TequilaToothpick]

@@Ralfi_PoELA None of that goes against what I said though.

[@TequilaToothpick]

I watched this movie again today and absolutely loved how they handled Anybody's character. Ice paying respect to them near the end was really surprising and progressive for a 60's movie.

[@gary6514]

I can remember many many years ago as a child watching West Side Story on TV in England one Christmas Eve. The film made an impact on me which continues to this day. The music by Leonard Bernstein is absolute genius and of course perfectly complimented by Stephen Sondheim's wonderful lyrics. In fact when as I got older and realized this movie was based on Romeo and Juliet started a life long love of Shakespeare. This film is important on so many levels and the fact the inner city problems still exist makes it relevant now as in 1961. The remake is exciting and I will be eager to see the end result. It seems the new movie is set in the New York of the 1950s. I absolutely love your superb indepth review of this masterpiece. Excellent. Very well done.

[@belle-ashton2167]

There are so many scenes where the characters COULD have actually settled something, Riff gets interrupted when he tries to arrange something after Maria and Tony’s first kiss, it’s the same in the new adaptation. Action also tries to arrange something with Bernardo at Doc’s store but he is interrupted by Shrank.

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

It's worth mentioning that *West Side Story* scteenwriter Ernest Lehman expanded and sharpened Lieutenant Schrank's dialogue, making him more pointedly hateful, and slightly more complex. Credit should also be given to the actor Simon Oakland, who made his Schrank so loathsome that you forget he's an actor playing a role. Ice is a character invented by Lehman for the movie due to the swapped positions of "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke." In the play, "Cool" is sung in Act One, and Riff sings the lead. In the movie, it's sung after the rumble, when Riff is already dead, so Ice was created to sing the lead (because Ice is cool, get it?). In the play, it's Action who takes control of the gang after Riff's death, and who praises Anybodys. Another difference between the play and the movie is that in the play, rather than being a "book" song sung by Tony and Maria, "Somewhere" is sung by a disembodied voice during a ballet sequence. In the original Broadway cast, Leonard Bernstein chose a black woman to sing this solo, but in many subsequent productions, especially at the amateur level, this song has been given to Anybodys (I don't know if this has been done in a professional production, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has).

[@Shayesbel87]

That’s what I said about Riff and Ice protecting Nardo!!! I noticed that!!!! It really is so sad

[@LadyJenevia]

THEY COULD HAVE BEEN FRIENDS AND BANDED TOGETHER AGAINST COPS. THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE OF AN EPIC TRAGEDY. It's so powerful. 😭

[@belle-ashton2167]

I wished we had that in the new adaptation. But *spoilers* During the rumble, the new Riff didn't give his knife to Tony in order to kill Bernardo though. I think it showed a sense of ambiguity to his character. I wanted to see Anita or Maria saying to these boys that instead of fighting, they should realize that they have a common enemy, the system in general. They’re all poor and society is ignoring them, hence gentrification being the first topic depicted in Spielberg’s version.

[@matilted]

That video was simply brilliant one of the best video essays I've come across to💕

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you! 😊🌸✨

[@aurora635]

This was beyond amazing. Thank you!

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you for watching! ☺️🌸✨

[@pitabon897]

I'm so glad someone else points out all of these themes from the original adaptation of WSS. Those are all the things that have always drew me to the musical and why I like it so much because of its nuances and pointed social critique. I am flabbergasted that these haven't been brought up in recent reviews about the 2021 version and how it fails in addressing these nuances and social critique. Once again, a classic is unfairly judged for being old and its nuances are erased to uphold the false narrative that "we have come so far." The 2021 version is NOT an improvement on the 1961 adaptation because it erases a lot of the social political critique

[@kellydepaz525]

I admit that I was disappointed that the remake minimized lieutenant Shrank’s role, but I still believe that the remake was necessary since in interviews Rita Moreno mentioned the Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner went to The University of Puerto Rico twice because they wanted feedback from Latinos. The original creators didn’t have any input from any Latinos about how they were to be presented in the story, and a lot of people I know (as well as Latino critics) have said that tue portrayals in the original film feel very hollow, and didn’t have anything that was specific to Puerto Rican culture. Besides, the remake still emphasizes that the Jets are descendants of Polish & Irish immigrants.

[@pitabon897]

@@kellydepaz525 It certainly improves on some aspects of representation. But the Sharks are still not exactly more fleshed out. And the Jets remain the audience's point of entry into the story. I actually enjoyed the 2021 adaptation. It was a good effort. I just think that in terms of the larger themes explored by the musical, the 1961 did a better job and doesn't get the credit for it. As a person of color, I think it fails tremendously at representation but it has strong points that today's society (who wants to make it seem like racism is a thing of the past) just doesn't want to recognize.

[@kristiyu2575]

IM SO HERE FOR ALL OF YOUR WEST SIDE STORY CONTENT😍

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you! It’s one of my favourites! I was expecting to do a video once a trailer dropped but SOME PEOPLE refused to listen to scientists and now we need to wait another year! 🙃🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ll definitely do more, though! I’m assuming a first trailer should drop in a few months. 👀

[@chazofalsa]

Both of the videos are really great I was very interested on Ivo Van Hove's take of the revival and was impressed with it. I'm interested how Steven will do this.

[@Domingo12754]

Love your video and your pronunciation if Puerto ricans. FYI. Puerto Ricans like NativeAmericans and African Americans did not immigrate. Puerto Ricans are born US citizens since 1917 and the island became a territory of the United states much earlier in 1898. The correct term is migrant because it applies to citizens who move from one part of the country to another. The term immigrants propagates the myth that we are foreigners and need visas or green cards which we do not. To add insult to injury most of us have partial Amerindian ancestry and these ancestors were the very ones Columbus called Indians.

[@D.N..]

You never heard of the " DTs " or Tinhorn ?? Or anything else they are talking about ? The Jets are based on the Italian Harlem street gang, The Red Wings and their fighting with other gangs . The Italian Red Wings had the reputation as being the toughest street gang in NY !

[@presbyteriangirl9739]

Really? I'm Italian and never knew that. I know some of the Jets were supposed to be Italian. Riffs girlfriend has an Italian name Graziella

[@D.N..]

@@presbyteriangirl9739 Italian East Harlem, untill the late 1950s , was the largest Italian community outside Italy. You can research the history , there are several good sites that detail Italian East Harlem. None of it exists today except Rao's Restaurant is the only remaining icon and still one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. You can check Rao's out too !!

[@carolyns.9377]

I don't have anything intelligent to add, but this is a great video. subscribed!

[@LadyJenevia]

Thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 😍✨

[@colonyofrats4193]

This is an amazing and well researched video! However I'm surprised that you didn't touch on "Gee, officer Krupke" when talking about how the cops treat the jets

[@LadyJenevia]

Did I not mention that in this one? It’s been a while since I made my West Side Story videos and I remember talking about that song but maybe it was in my other video. I haven’t read through the scripts since I made them. 😂

[@colonyofrats4193]

@@LadyJenevia Haha thats ok. Your videos are still amazing! I was just wondering haha :)

[@kechkur2800]

the original line was ''How's the action on your mother's matress''

[@kateliness2]

Loved this video.

[@musicalintentions]

Great video!

[@user-vo3wl4mm3z]

エビ名インターからウインカーだしてたひとにやようやく曲がったの沼津インターにや！びっくりした😿

[@carolyns.9377]

I don't have anything intelligent to add, but this is a great video. subscribed!