West Side Story Discussion Questions written by the Unicorn on February 27th, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch
Movie: West Side Story
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion: 14+
Running Time: 2 hours and 36 minutes
Release Date: December 10, 2021
Streaming Service: Disney+
Warnings: This adaptation of the Broadway musical is darker and grittier than the 1961 version. There are multiple scenes with blood and heavy violence, death of a main character, explicit language, an implied sex scene, and an implied r*pe scene.
A Warning about this West Side Story Film
We’d like to preface this review with two things. West Side Story has never been free from controversy and the new movie is no exception.
1) There is a lot of controversy over the casting of the actor playing the male lead, Tony. He’s been accused of using his star status to manipulate and rape young fans who were under 18. The movie team has been largely silent about this.
2) The team really tried to correct the woes and controversies of the stage play and original movie. Through slashing derogatory lyrics and including more racially inclusive backstories amongst other things.
Resources: New York Times, College Newspaper, CNN
Quick West Side Story Summary
Based off the Tony Award winning 1957 Broadway musical, West Side Story is about two rival gangs living in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Despite the rivalry, Tony and Maria, two young people from opposing sides fall in love. The story follows their relationship as they try to make it work despite the gangs and socio-economic issues surrounding them.
West Side Story Parent Review
-Is Movie Appropriate for Younger Kids?-
This movie is NOT appropriate for kids who cannot handle the difficult and heavy topics covered. I saw the movie with an 11- and 13-year-old, and it was too much for both. For more information about the difficult topics in West Side Story, check out our Warnings section above.
-Characters & Acting-
The acting in this film is top notch. The biggest breakout stars from this film are Ariana Debose and Rachel Zegler. Ariana has been getting more recognition lately from her roles in Schmigadoon and The Prom, but she is brilliant as Anita. Her performance is heart-breaking. On the other hand, this is Rachel Zegler’s film debut, and she is incredible as Maria. She’s already been cast in several upcoming movies, and I am so excited to see more from her! Another standout is Mike Faist as Riff. He plays Riff with a lot of depth.
-Script & Story-
The story is not too different from the 1961 film, but it expands on some of the ideas in a way that was not possible in 1961. There is a bigger focus on why the Jets and Sharks are fighting. There are also some changes to Maria’s home life, with her no longer living with her parents but instead with only Bernardo and Anita.
One of the best changes was allowing more of the lines to be said in Spanish as opposed to English. Interestingly, they opted to not caption it, which worked quite well in my opinion. You can still understand what they are saying through emphasis and body language, and it makes the characters feel more human. It also helps to show their struggle to adjust to speaking English.
-Film Quality-
This film is stunning to look at. The contrast between the light-hearted moments and the darker gritty moments is shown through the colors on screen. In the song America, in which the Puerto Ricans sing about their favorite parts of America, they are outside in daylight, dressed in bright colors, showing their optimism and their excitement of being in a new country. In contrast, the rumble scene is in a grey, dark warehouse, surrounded by piles of white salt, helping to further the narrative of how lost these boys are that they would hurt each other.
West Side Story Discussion Questions
1) We can see that being in either of the gangs is a bad idea for the boys in them. Why do you think they are in them?
2) What was Tony’s opinion of the Jets? Why did he not want to go back to that life?
3) A large part of Maria’s story is her becoming independent from Bernardo and Anita. Do you think she went about growing up in a good way?
Meet the Author- Kate
Kate is a young disabled writer based in Iowa. She’s obsessed with anything Marvel, Disney, or theatre. She can normally be found performing, singing dramatically in the car.
Instagram: @kit_kat_kate_cat
TikTok: @kathrynthecat
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