it was pretty good. But like the original, the male lead was the weakest thing. And the cinematography in this one was very cool. But I was hoping they'd change that one awful scene from the original, but alas, it was kept intact. Maria can't get over her brother's death at his hand in 2 seconds. "Killer! Killer! Killer!", then back to lovey-dovey doesn't work.
shareDespite Maria's having loved Tony in spite of the fact that he killed Bernardo in retaliation for his having stabbed Riff during the Rumble, she was quite angry with both the Jets and the Sharks for Tony's death, as her angry speech
"You all killed him! (meaning Tony) Not with bullets and guns! With hate! Well, now I can kill, because now I have hate!" It was Maria's angry message towards both the Jets and Sharks that produced a ray of hope, and possible intergroup reconciliation, a truce, and possible friendship between the Jets and Sharks, especially since afew Jets and Sharks came together to carry Tony's body off in the old, original 1961 film version of WSS, and the fact that some of the Jets and Sharks walked off together in a procession that indicated a possible unity and reconciliation between them.
Yeah, she was angry, but she got over her anger in seconds -- despite not knowing the context of her brother's death at his hand. She didn't know how it went down, so how did forgiveness come so soon without more explanation? It should've been written as a rejection of him for a longer period before a deeper realization, maybe based on someone else telling her exactly what happened and why. As written, it just doesn't ring true that she'd get back to gushing over him and not thinking about her dead brother in two seconds. Unlike Anita, she doesn't grieve Bernardo's death at all.
shareYou've made some good points that are well taken, MartyDeniro, but I seriously wonder, if she did eventually get to thinking of and grieving for Bernardo, after his death at the hands of Tony. One of the most interesting aspects of West Side Story, as a whole, is that it does leave a great deal to the audiences' imagination(s), if one gets the drift.
The fact that it doesn't leave a great deal of closure, if any, is part of what makes the original 1961 film version of West Side Story so interesting.
Well, since she already had her bags packed to run away with Tony, she wouldn't have been around for Bernardo's funeral.
shareAs it is, however, Maria never gets to elope with Tony anyhow, since Tony was shot dead by Chino, in retaliation for Bernardo's stabbing death during the rumble, at Tony's hand.
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