West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet - Summer of Shakespeare

[@jenniferschillig3768]

In very early drafts, Maria WAS supposed to die as well (and in one draft, died INSTEAD of Tony--she was misinformed that Tony was dead, stabbed herself in the bridal shop, Tony found her and she died in his arms, and he flung open the door of the shop shouting, "Chino, come get me!" as the curtain fell). But the creators found it anti-climactic and thought it would have more impact if she lived. It's interesting you call attention to the powerlessness of the adult figures in the end. The very last stage direction of the original playscript was "The adults--Doc, Schrank, Krupke, Glad Hand--stand bowed, alone, useless." And did you notice that no adult character in this play sings a note? The music, the dance, the passion, they all belong to the youth. (Although, in the original movie shooting script--it came with the DVD--they'd planned to have a sung/spoken section in "Tonight Quintet" between Schrank and Krupke where they vow to clean up the neighborhood and stop the rumble. I'm INCREDIBLY glad they didn't go with that.)

[@noemiecansier8466]

I think West Side Story really helps to contextualise Romeo and Juliet. Family feuds aren’t nearly so much as a social issue now as they were, but the social commentary still stands as shown by this adaptation. When grown ups fight children follow and children die.

[@Vohalika]

The list of awards Lin Manuel Miranda has won by the time this video was made is somehow extremely hilarious to me.

[@billyweed835]

He's only one away from the glorious EGOT. No, more then that: A PEGOT.

[@SRLovesPandas1]

@@billyweed835 maybe he'll write an original song for the In The Heights adaptation and gain another Oscar nom

[@SpadePyro]

Billy Weed if he doesn’t win an Oscar for the in the heights movie, hell definitely win one for Hamilton

[@gabe_s_videos]

I heard one interpretation of the ending that the Juliet analogue doesn't physically die, but she's dead inside.

[@HetLedie]

Robogabriel crawwwwwwling inn my skinnnnn

[@Foxpawed]

13:47 "How do you fire this gun, Chino? By pulling this little trigger? How many bullets are left, Chino, enough for you? And you? All of you! You all killed him, and my brother, and Riff, not with bullets and guns, but with HATE! Well, I can kill too, because now I HAVE HATE! How many can I kill, Chino, and still have one bullet left for me?" I can't imagine why these lines are currently speaking to me _very loudly;_ Hopefully when we've had a moment to collect ourselves, we too will come together rather than continuing to give into the cycle of hate.

[@zakkizer2490]

I love this movie's take on prejudice, systemic racism informs personal prejudice, while the personal prejudice foments the systems of hatred, an endless cycle that is only broken by someone having the strength and insight to overcome both these things, which is not easily done back then or even now

[@happyquesadilla]

i think it's absolutely necessary in this adaptation for maria to deliver the speech about the fruits of hate instead of the prince, because as you remarked, the prince in this adaptation isn't a true neutral authority. this is a story that touches on systemic racism, not just 2 warring families, and as such, the lieutenant is biased toward the white jets over the puerto rican sharks. he is guilty of participating in this cycle of hate too. i always disliked how maria survived at the end, i thought it should have kept truer to the original, but now i think i finally get it. maria is the only character who could deliver that speech, who could properly decry this cycle of hate and open the white characters' eyes to what they were doing. there is no answer to her outcry because this (systemic racism) isn't something that can be solved with a decree from the law like the original. instead, we have a quiet moment of everyone picking up the pieces, the 2 gangs silently working together, and life moving forward. that's..............incredibly powerful, and i think a vital change for a modern adaptation.

[@stefanfilipovits9221]

This might be your best work yet Kyle. The insights about race, the translation of the Queen Mab speech & "ancient grudge" (theirs and ours), everything. Really insightful.

[@RRyleM]

I always thought that "star-crossed" met that they're destined to be doomed and the universe is against them.

[@basilmemories]

it is. if I remember correctly it had to do with astrology charts. If your chart came out with the star crossing in the wrong place, you were fated to do poorly in that part of your life. So said the heavens themselves.

[@quiroz923]

The thing is, the word was invented by Shakespeare, so it's not like we can try to find a previous use to see what exactly he meant. Does he mean the universe is against their love, or that the universe will bring them into love to destroy them later, or that they themselves are doomed for failure?

[@KrisKrisKrissy]

Funny thing. I really don't like Romeo and Juliet, but I LOVE West Side Story.

[@matthewsanders3185]

That last little moment was just perfect. Thank you for that. I'm finally headed to the Patreon.

[@ayindestevens6152]

Don't know if this has been clarified already but the neighborhood where the setting takes place was actually called 'San Juan Hill' after the Spanish-American War battle. Today that neighborhood is situated in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex and the neighborhood reverted to it's original name Lincoln Square which depending on what map you read is interchangeable to Lincoln Center. Although fun fact the film used two playgrounds in the film on of which is in fact on East 110th Street. In East Harlem which happens to be Spanish Harlem. The playground still exists.

[@magnusprime962]

8:30 And then he did win an Oscar... for a role that pretty much everyone agrees wasn't his best and it was really just given to him because the Academy thought he was due one. Gotta love the Oscars.

[@kingofthegundam7974]

I'm a Puerto Rican, and I haven't seen West Side Story in years. I should probably watch it again someday.

[@lamecasuelas2]

Hey! it's nice to see that you're moving to you tube, i feel like can finally comment properly,good luck with the experiment, and i hope to see more or Summer of Shakespeare and your other videos as well. Anyway,yeah, i mean this is why Shakespeare's works appeals to so many people and why these works can be always be retold and retold, and re imagined, like any piece of art its work is not to divide but to unite us.

[@sarahjordan7406]

I think in a symbolic way, Maria dies, but her death is in the death of her hopes and dreams to be with Tony. She’s just completely empty and hollow at the end and it makes the story more tragic.

[@Garland41]

Maybe I'm the only one, but Kyle's Videos are good enough to be getting views by the millions.

[@papapepepenultimo]

Some days, I don´t think about how awesome this film is. Please forgive me.

[@MelanieNLee]

Very intelligent comments! I like how you find not-so-obvious comparisons from WSS to R&J: "Gee, Officer Krupke!" as the Queen Mab speech, the celestial references in both works, and so on. I'm sure you're familiar with the Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story book of the two scripts with an essay by Norris Houghton. Years ago, I wrote an essay called "God on Broadway" including Maria's spiritual journey in WSS.

[@SovronFilm]

LOVE your Shakespeare reviews. Very well done. Looking forward to many more!

[@NightmareLyra]

Kinda unfortunate that one of the most iconic anti-racist movies of the era uses prominent brownface instead of hiring actual POC actors

[@blackearl7891]

Old but rito moreno is Puerto rican

[@MsDjessa]

I didn't think this movie would be my cup of tea but now I really want to see it.

[@quiroz923]

I like to be in Verona, okay by me in Verona, everything free in Verona!

[@sebastianlainez7179]

Still got that long play record! Awesome video! Natalie Wood is my first crush

[@Jjrmtv]

West Side Story still holds up I wept first time I watched it when I was 10, even wept a bit watching this. Shakespeare Rules!

[@rachellawhead6923]

The really interesting thing about Officer Krupke being the Queen Mab speech, and by extension Riff as a Mercutio analog, is that in the stage version, the song that Riff sings is not Officer Krupke. It's Cool. Officer Krupke is in Act 2, and is mostly lead by Action. So in the stage version, Riff is less of a Mercutio analog, and is overall, a much less funny and enjoyable character (in my opinion). The parallels to the original play are actually less obvious in the stage version, and I greatly prefer the movie.

[@bananaboatcharlie]

oh my gosh there _is_ a queen mab speech

[@e.d.gremore7685]

That's weird how one of the characters in twin peaks says a monologue from Romeo and Juliet about beauty, the story somewhat follows teen love and there are two of the same actors from West Side Story in Twin Peaks. Anybody got any ideas?

[@nola3963]

Very informative! Thanks 💜💜👏🏻👏🏻

[@sonofjafarreturns]

The only thing I think I can disagree with you on in this video is whether you can pull off a more convincing Puerto Rican than Natalie Wood.

[@crazygermn]

But I wanted to talk about tritones and hemiola....

[@kathrynblakeley9823]

Can't you talk about it then?

[@jcunningham8041]

get on over to Sideways. he's got a terrific video on the music of WSS

[@גלעדסוירזנסקי]

As a non American Jew I would actually love to see a movie or musical about Jews in the USA.

[@LeighMet]

It was the upper west side not Spainsh Harlem. Spainish Harlem is on the East side.

[@kathrynblakeley9823]

Thank you

[@katedoes...9783]

So this is where I knew Lin Manuel Miranda from!

[@Philbert-s2c]

Yes, indeed it was Gomez Adams. He's funny that way....but he's MUUUUUUUUCH better now. :)

[@CineMasterDamian]

*West Side Story* is my FAVORITE Romeo & Juliet adaptation! Although ironically the Romeo & Juliet plot line is the weakest part of the film. It's not terrible, but it's kind of jarring when you go from the gang war & racial prejudice plot lines which have high kinetic movement and energy to a romance where the energy is more slow pace and full of potential energy. I also couldn't buy the chemistry (or lack there of) between Natalie Wood who's giving it her all and that block of wood who wished to become a real boy.

[@violatralala]

I am a musical snob and yout choices for background music of your videos made my sapiosexuality hurt quite a number of times already in the past. But boy, you got me ad "hemiola" here 😁

[@EspaALSC]

Does anyone know what country was Kyle talking about in the end of the video?

[@SRLovesPandas1]

Espanholina ALSC India

[@KidSnivy69]

Has Kyle ever covered anything about Into the Woods?

[@Nikkizsche]

Damn, your singing do be good tho

[@robbieanson1218]

And can I ask you to make a video of the movie itself and not focusing on the Shakespeare's addition to this l is it possible they can just review the movie from start to finish? And I like to ask you that if that's OK and by the way I am Robbie Anson

[@azmonbored3837]

Are you ever going to talk about China Girl for Shakespeare month? it’s like west side story but not a musical and the couple is Italian and Chinese.

[@mrnemo204]

Ironic you said that Leo never won an Oscar. Because he just got one!

[@juliaelkins8360]

Also that's not what ironic means.

[@poposterous236]

Wait, Ben Horne and Dr. Jacoby used to live on the west side?

[@easyenetwork2023]

West Side story is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

[@jamesgeorge7579]

At the end, do you mean Austrailian Shakespeare? Canadian? Sudanese?

[@thuytienlives8487]

Kyle was talking about adaptations of Shakespeare's plays performed in India. :-)

[@dan-mb2ne]

Hahaha that ending tho

[@nicholashurst780]

So... Translating the lines and songs into Spanish might highlight the difference the text already spent the entire story highlighting BUT it also communicates to the mostly white mostly upper middle and upper class audience of the play that that difference is already being respected, and that it's just as difficult, if not more difficult for the white characters to understand what the non white characters say, do, and intend, as it is for the Puerto Rican characters to navigate an Anglophonic and white-centric society. Frankly there aren't that many Hispanic people going to the show (they're only a small bit less underrepresented amongst the upper classes as black people) so the change isn't for Hispanics in the audience. It's dishonest messaging meant to convince the upper class white audience that anti-Hispanic (and by extension anti-immigrant more generally) racism is a thing that they don't participate in. Because they are the people positioned to positively impact that very real problem and they must be convinced not to.

[@cinammonstyx7622]

*Watches first couple of minutes* How do you just kind of know all of these things.

[@kingofthegundam7974]

He does research. A LOT of research.

[@jasonw.5023]

Which country is Kyle referring to in the end of the video?

[@SonofSethoitae]

India my dude.

[@ECL28E]

Michael Bay's favorite film

[@jbvader721]

+ECL28E That should be no reason for people to dislike this movie for inspiring the explosion loving, uninspired hack to make crappy movie after crappy movie. That's like instantly hating Wuthering Heights or Romeo and Juliet because they were one of Stephanie Meyer's "inspirations" for Twilight.

[@ECL28E]

i never said this was a negative, Just a factoid

[@rorystockley5969]

A factoid, hmm?

[@ECL28E]

Yes. A trivial piece of information

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

Factoid means "false fact".

[@troyschulz2318]

Fifties slang is the greatest.

[@tristanroberts]

Interpretting star-crossed to mean that they were pulled together by fate seems to be the usual interpretation and hardly the surprise you make it sound. It also seems a stretch. Far more natural to interpret it not as being that the two of them were made to cross paths by the stars, but rather that the stars have crossed the two of them, that the two are opposed by fate, that they are unlucky. It's a change from them being foolish, but not so dramatic one as them being soulmates

[@canadmexi]

If Danes and Dicaprio had studied No Fear R and J beside the script, they could've been fuckin' Roman Polanski!

[@pawlee77]

What do you think a Puerto Rican is suppose to look like?

[@judithweiss6727]

Actually Spanish Harlem is on the Upper East Side.

[@caeloMius]

I agree you look like my cousin

[@SonofSethoitae]

Nah, "star crossed" means they're doomed, that the stars are against them.

[@KR-ue1gd]

I think "star crossed" means meeting and parting: the stars made their paths cross/intersect, but their paths are still heading in different directions.

[@SonofSethoitae]

@@KR-ue1gd www.dictionary.com/browse/star-crossed

[@StephaniedeBritoLeal]

Remember when a Shakespearean actor shot a president in the head? And all of a sudden my brain went: A SHAKESPEAREAN ACTOR KILLED JFK????? 😂

[@thelunaticfox6416]

hmmm, well I just learned where my hate towards racism came from.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Of course I feel the very definition of actor shouldn't define race or ethnicity given what history has shown us.

[@thuytienlives8487]

Whitewashing has been happening for centuries though. Many acting companies have banned people of color from acting in heroic or positive roles for many years too. That's why positive roles for people of color are so important.

[@thephantomoftheparadise5666]

A film about race yet has white washed characters.

[@akinmytua4680]

The Phantom of the Paradise unfortunately, it was the 50s. We can't even get it right today.

[@geniehossain3738]

The Phantom of the Paradise yeah, that's rather unfortunate

[@pinkwings8036]

The current revival has fixed that, so this is more a product of the times instead of a demand of the script.

[@SM-ov5rf]

They even browned up Rita Moreno who is actually Puerto Rican

[@Multifandom_mess12]

@@SM-ov5rf that really really pisses me off. Especially as I'm a light-skinned Puerto Rican (given I'm mixed but still) who nobody believes is Puerto Rican due to shit like this.

[@AngXX_p]

ain’t nobody wanna do allat

[@dylang2255]

The movie is very well made but I'm not a fan.

[@willhanleyreed1990]

Im gonna be real. I hated this movie.