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West Side Story/Headscratchers: Difference between revisions
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* The ending. Just... the ending. It just... ends!
** My friend has the deluxe DVD version with script and writers'/director's commentary. According to her, Maria kills herself offscreen.
** This troper has always assumed that was the point. It's mostly stuff that happened. The plot isn't the entire point, the characters are, and the gangs coming to a peace, too. Once that is accomplished, Maria, our main character walks off, with no idea where her life is going. And the audience has no idea either. Her killing herself, assuming the above poster is correctly informed, would change it from a [["What Now?" Ending]] to a [[Downer Ending]]. In other words, life there is screwed up and it's hard to find a direction, you don't get one handed to you even if you are a main character.
** It was supposed to be a [[Romeo and Juliet]] type of story, and we all know the fairy-tale ending to THAT one...
** Maria most definitely does not kill herself. West Side Story is not [[Romeo and Juliet]], it only follows the same basic architype.
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** Maybe it is [[Positive Discrimination]]?
** Long story short, they basically thought that Anita was either out to kill Tony or a major player in the plot to do so. Also, depending on the production and the director, it's not necessarily rape or even attempted rape; [[Rape as Drama|it's more dramatic if it is]], but I've seen two or three excellent portrayals of the scene where the Jets basically just beat the crap out of her. Also, what did the Jets do prior to that? And in any case, can you imagine a similar scene with Graziella and the Sharks going much differently?
*** Wait, are you saying that being out to kill Tony is an excuse to rape her?
*** In the moments before, she came to the cafe and asked them where Tony was and they were harassing her, flipping up her skirt, and groping her. I saw the Broadway version, and to me, the Sharks all seemed like greedy assholes. Also, yeah, person above. It's no excuse, it's plain monstery.
*** [[Sarcasm Mode|Yes. I was implying in any way, shape or form that there is an excuse to rape somebody]]. I was saying ''why they did it.'' Charles Manson killed people because he was fucking crazy. It's not an excuse, but it's why he did it. The situation was brutal and one where non monstrous people do monstrous and inexcusable things to each other.
*** If someone's out trying to kill your best friend--and her boyfriend just killed another one of your best friends--I can definitely imagine getting pissed off and doing something stupid. After all, Tony killed Bernardo for accidentally killing Riff. Why wouldn't the Jets rape Anita for purposely killing--or trying to kill, whatever--Tony?
*** Also, part of the point of the show is a commentary on gang mentality. If any of the Jets had been alone, of course no rape would have occured.
* I don't know about you, but this trouper would NOT automatically sleep with the person who JUST killed her brother. OK, it was an accident, OK, he was sorry, OK, he didnt mean to do it and wanted to turn himself in. But still...HE KILLED YOUR BROTHER!! And you AUTOMATICALLY sleep with him?! Your brother's been dead not even one hour, and you give yourself to the guy who took his life?! No...just no.
** Okay...?
** [[You Keep Using That Word|You keep saying "automatically"]], as if Maria was some kind of robot whose programming to mourn her brother was overwritten by programming to have sex with Tony. Remember, when the scene opens she runs at Tony and tries to attack him. You can make an argument that their liaison at that point is nothing close to healthy or smart; but they're both deeply traumatized and they need to ''be'' with someone who understands.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Headscratchers (Theater)]]▼
[[Category:West Side Story]]▼
[[Category:Headscratchers]]
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