MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (1961) Discussion > Did anyone else feel that it should have...

Did anyone else feel that it should have been Maria who...

posted 11 years ago by elockehart
14 replies | jump to latest

*spoilers ahead*

died at the end instead of Tony?

I finally got around to watching West Side Story and as wonderful as I thought it was--the ending wasn't as poignant to me as I believe it was meant to be. I don't think Maria's final speech was so powerful that the Jets would of suddenly had an epiphany. For me, I feel the death of an innocent young girl caught in the crossfire would of been more likely to get through to both gangs.

Maybe I just need a good verbal smack around of someone clarifying for me whatever it was that I missed that brought on the sudden change of heart. I'm sure someone here can help with that. :-)

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

Should Maria have died at the end instead of Tony?

Absolutely not, imho!

I feel the death of an innocent young girl caught in the crossfire would of been more likely to get through to both gangs.

I disagree with the notion that the death of Maria would've gotten through to either gang. When gangs are at war with each other (as is the case of armies of different countries), they don't care whether or not innocent people get caught in the crossfire, die, or get seriously and/or permanently injured as a consequence. Inotherwords, people at war with one another really don't care about the consequences of their actions/behaviors and how they affect the other side, let alone innocent people.

The fact that Maria survived, as did most of the members of each gang in West Side Story, as well as their girls, meant that it didn't have to innocent people on either side dying or being seriously injured for the gangs to come to their senses. In fact, I'm glad that it didn't get that far.

[–] elockehart 11 years ago

I am following what you are saying but why then did the gangs come to their senses? I feel I missed a pivotal moment in the film. I just can't understand why the Sharks wouldn't feel avenged that Tony was dead. If they wouldn't feel remorse about a young girl, why would they about killing an opposing gang member that had 'robbed them' of their leader?

Am I looking at it too simply then? Is it about the fact that they are kids playing at being in a gang and don't understand the true ramifications of life/death until the moment Tony is dead?

[–] friendoffilm 11 years ago

Gangs are also armies, but they're armies of the street, rather than of a nation and an ordinary battlefield. The fact that the arrogance, hubris and street violence that both the Jets and Sharks engaged in on such a regular ongoing basis, and their feuding, which resulted from the afore-mentioned behaviors, ultimately claiming the lives of three people (i. e. the leaders of both the Jets and the Sharks, and the Jets' ex-leader and founder, Tony), is what made both gangs and their girls stop, at least momentarily, to look at the consequences of all their feuding and their hatred of each other, and to unite, at least temporarily, in the face of tragedy.

[–] jschillig 10 years ago

Funny you should mention that.

A while ago, I read a book called "Enchanted Evenings", about the creation of several musicals. WSS was one of the ones the book focused on, discussing cut songs and earlier drafts.

In one of these early drafts (I don't know if this was when it was still "East Side Story" about a Catholic boy and a Jewish girl), it WAS Maria who died instead of Tony. In the synopsis of the draft, Maria, believing Tony was dead (in a gender-reversal of the finished product), returned to the bridal shop, sang an aria about how she couldn't live without Tony, and plunged a pair of scissors into her stomach. Tony arrived as she was dying, held her in his arms and sang a snippet of their love song to rally her (sound familiar?) but she died in his arms. Tony kissed her, lay her on the floor, then flung open the bridal shop door to shout for the other gang to "come get me too!" No word on whether the other gang actually did in this draft, or whether the curtain fell right afterward.

It's an interesting wrinkle. As for whether it would have worked as well in the finished...maybe it could have been a case of her taking Chino's bullet to save Tony? It might have been an interesting twist if she'd died at the hands of the OTHER man who loved her.

[–] friendoffilm 10 years ago

I'm not so sure that it would've worked out for the best that way, jschillig. Personally, I think that this sort of an ending to West Side Story would make it too much like Romeo & Juliet, which wouldn't be desirable. I also couldn't see Maria taking Chino's bullet to save Tony, especially since Chino's bullet wasn't being aimed at Maria, to begin with. I think that the ending of West Side Story as it is does this film justice, whereas another kind of ending wouldn't, really.

Having said all of the above, West Side Story is a movie that's best left as it is, since it's in a very special class all by itself.

[–] oprlvr33 9 years ago

NOPE.
Because the entire synopsis was not about lovers: Tony and Maria as the [fatal and not] epilogue heroes/heroines. It always surrounded the rival gangs' hatred [and ethnic bigotry] Tony meeting/falling for Maria was merely the added flavor that sparked further interest-conflict against Riff's (and the Jet's) original war-pact with the Sharks. Bernardo fiercely intervene's the lover's kiss at the HS dance, with a warning glare at Tony to "watch his step - and his intentions"

"Get your hands off my sister!"

"He is one of THEM!"

Chino accidentally killing Maria (in place of Tony), or her getting caught in any gang-war crossfire would have been out of place. The ladies were the more secondary or supporting aspects of this story; same as Anita getting caught in the gang crossfire, while searching desperately for Bernardo. Would have made little sense. The mission was for Tony to try putting an end to the childish ongoing rivalry by reasoning with both sides; which proved fatal, when Chino shoots him out of jealousy.

Peanutlee33

[–] friendoffilm 9 years ago

Riff was killed by Bernardo, Bernardo was killed by Tony, in retaliation for Riff's death, and Tony, in turn, was killed by Chino in retaliation for the death of Chino's close friend/right-hand man, Bernardo, and out of jealousy, as you succinctly pointed out, oprivr33.

Sometimes, I wonder, however, what would've happened if Tony, despite what he'd promised Maria, had not gone to the rumble, and just let the Jets and the Sharks have it out with each other.

[–] friendoffilm 9 years ago

One also has to bear in mind, however, that the fact that Tony tried to put an end to the feuding by first shaking hands with the Shark gang leader, Bernardo , also backfired, because Bernardo was so furious with Tony for being interested in his sister, Maria, to begin with (Bernardo had brought Maria to the United States to marry Chino, which was also what made Bernardo so irate about Tony's interest in and love for his sister!), plus Chino also shot and killed Tony in retaliation for Bernardo's stabbing death at the hands of Tony.

[–] winy68 9 years ago

I don't think you really understood the story

[–] friendoffilm 9 years ago

I don't think you really understood the story

Speak for yourself, winy68. Thanks.

[–] fbplayer1064 9 years ago

Yes. And the song "Valencia" by the Deceberists properly addressees this.

[–] stevenackerman69 8 years ago

No, I think it is good that Tony is the one who gets killed at the end. He was the gang member to begin with. Maria is the one who was against all the rumbling to begin with, remember? She tried to be calm about it, but her speech at the end was the fact that she was annoyed that now she lost two people she cared about, her brother, and now the person she loved. And she stopped them from even more fighting, notice? If she hadn't said anything, there would've been more killings right there, with Ice probably killing Chino.

[–] friendoffilm 8 years ago

Your points are well taken, and interesting, stevenackerman69. Frankly, I think that had Maria not gotten between the Jets and Sharks and prevented them from clashing once again, there would've been multiple killings....on both sides.

[–] velcronewsletter 8 years ago

have to disagree. they wouldn't have cared if a girl was killed, girls were nothing but property to them. much more impact if a member of their gang had died. it would have meant something to them