MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (1961) Discussion > What if this took place 50 years later, ...

What if this took place 50 years later, in 2011?


What could stay the same? What would have to be updated?

Cars, I suppose. And what of clothing? Hair?

Maybe have "Gangnam Style" in the sound track. Thematically, it probably should be the same message, I guess.

Happy Thanksgiving... let's celebrate our differences!

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Senseless teen on teen shootings would fill up the entire runtime...it would be way less charming:(

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I agree.

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it's a musical/drama/love story. to change anything in that classic would be tragic

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I agree, yawkee24. West Side Story is a great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic film that should be left alone. NOBODY, imho, should even think of re-making such a beautiful classic film.

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True!
Brilliant musical...spellbinding stuff really...

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They'd all have guns, not switchblades. The opening dance number would end in a drive-by shooting, and a drug cartel would casually shoot Maria and Anita when Chino was late with a payment.

The only reason the audience is able to invest any sympathy in the gangs of 1960 is that they're young and very, very small-time, they're not too far removed from kids playing at "King of the hill" with "turf" on the street. That feeling couldn't be recaptured today, unless very young actors were cast.

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Even if very young actors/actresses were cast, there's no way that the feeling and/or setting in West Side Story could be captured today. They'd still all be carrying and using guns, rather than switchblade knives or fisticuffs, to boot.

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Sad and probably true:(
I remember when boys punched out boys...made more sense then!
We all went to school again the next day...
Hell, i won a bunch and lost a few and wound up good buddies with most of them!

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Thanks for your input, ShogunofYonkers.

Even though I'm a female and grew up at a time and an environment when and where fighting among girls and women, and having them learn to defend themselves if and when necessary was discouraged, I was aware that, back then, boys would punch boys, and not punch girls. Most kids, whoever they were, went to school every day, despite all that stuff.

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