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West Side Story – Spielberg remake (3 Viewers)

Jake Lipson

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By the way, does anyone know why this site doesn't let you edit out typing errors easily?]

The forum does let you edit posts; you'll see an edit button next to the "report" button at the bottom of your posts. What you can't do is edit posts long after you've posted them, because that would make continuing discussion difficult to follow. When you post, I think you have about a 24 hour window or thereabouts to make changes before your post is locked; one of the owners or moderators might be able to tell you exactly how long the edit window is open. After it closes moderators can make changes if they feel it necessary to do so. But since you just joined a few hours ago, all of your posts should still be well within the edit window at the moment.

Also, you inadvertently an open bracket -- like this [ -- when you were quoting Tino's post. As such, your entire post currently looks as though @Tino said it because it's in the quote box. So you might want to adjust that.
 

StrongRex

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No it’s not

Okay, well guess what? I'm not going to keep stating 'it's just my opinion' everytime I say my opinion. I will just state it and anyone can take it however they want. That's really how it should be. I'm not going to have you tell me I'm wrong just because the majority 'thankfully' disagrees with me, whether they do or not. Honestly, I shouldn't have to go to the trouble of saying all that.
 

StrongRex

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The forum does let you edit posts; you'll see an edit button next to the "report" button at the bottom of your posts. What you can't do is edit posts long after you've posted them, because that would make continuing discussion difficult to follow. When you post, I think you have about a 24 hour window or thereabouts to make changes before your post is locked; one of the owners or moderators might be able to tell you exactly how long the edit window is open. After it closes moderators can make changes if they feel it necessary to do so. But since you just joined a few hours ago, all of your posts should still be well within the edit window at the moment.

Also, you inadvertently an open bracket -- like this [ -- when you were quoting Tino's post. As such, your entire post currently looks as though @Tino said it because it's in the quote box. So you might want to adjust that.

So far, I've been a member on this site for 3 hours, and I've been getting error messages saying that my posts might be spam or have inappropriate content, which I know is not the case with either. So I'm already have difficulty just fixing my posts. And like I said, the /quote at the end of that particular post I made won't go away no matter what I do.

Oh, and they ask me to contact an administrator and I'm not sure how to do that yet. I couldn't find it in the help section.
 

Tino

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Okay, well guess what? I'm not going to keep stating 'it's just my opinion' everytime I say my opinion. I will just state it and anyone can take it however they want. That's really how it should be. I'm not going to have you tell me I'm wrong just because the majority 'thankfully' disagrees with me, whether they do or not. Honestly, I shouldn't have to go to the trouble of saying all that.
Well Good for you. Do whatever you want. And I never said you were “wrong” about anything. Carry on by all means.
 

StrongRex

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Well Good for you. Do whatever you want. And I never said you were “wrong” about anything. Carry on by all means.

When you said "Maybe to you, but thankfully not the case with the majority of classic movie fans", that to me was an implication my opinion was wrong. But now I know you didn't mean it that way. Carry on.
 

Jake Lipson

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the /quote at the end of that particular post I made won't go away no matter what I do.

I'm sorry to hear you've been having issues with the forum. I've never experienced something like what you are describing before, but I was just trying to tell you how editing posts is supposed to work. Why it's not working for you, I don't know.

Oh, and they ask me to contact an administrator and I'm not sure how to do that yet. I couldn't find it in the help section.

There is a "Forum Help and Feedback" board here, which you can also locate from the list of forums: https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/forums/forum-help-and-feedback.18/.

You can also send a private message to any owner or moderator for help. You can tell who the moderators and/or owners are because their posts will say "MODERATOR" or "OWNER" underneath their avatar and username. Several of them have posted in this thread as part of the normal course of discussion.

I hope this helps.
 

StrongRex

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I'm sorry to hear you've been having issues with the forum. I've never experienced something like what you are describing before, but I was just trying to tell you how editing posts is supposed to work. Why it's not working for you, I don't know.



There is a "Forum Help and Feedback" board here, which you can also locate from the list of forums: https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/forums/forum-help-and-feedback.18/.

You can also send a private message to any owner or moderator for help. You can tell who the moderators and/or owners are because their posts will say "MODERATOR" or "OWNER" underneath their avatar and username. Several of them have posted in this thread as part of the normal course of discussion.

I hope this helps.

Thank you! I will check all that out when I get the chance.
 

StrongRex

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I completely disagree with that. The original is completely unchanged by the existence of a remake.

West Side Story is itself a remake of Romeo and Juliet. Is Romeo and Juliet changed, or any less special, because West Side Story exists?

I wouldn't say that West Side Story is a remake of Romeo and Juliet - it's an adaptation. There's a difference between the two terms. Just like every movie version of Romeo and Juliet is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. And the adaptation was so effective that when I first saw West Side Story, I didn't know it was supposed to be Romeo and Juliet because so many unique things were done with it that made WSS its own thing.

So what? The original film will continue to exist and be enjoyed by generations to come. Its place in film history is absolutely secure. If the new film ends up being closer to the stage version, then people who like the stage version have an option that reflects it, and those who prefer the original will continue to be able to watch it.

That's true, and I'm thankful for that. I don't really see this version truly standing out in any way, but I could be wrong. I'll go see it with an open mind, but given my feelings about the stage show, the placements for Cool and Gee, Officer Krupke will be a deal breaker for me.

There is also tremendous opportunity offered by the chance to do this again with an ethnic cast. Natalie Wood was many things, and she gave a great performance as Maria, but she was not a Latina. I'm not saying that we should dismiss the entire movie because of the way it was cast, since what they did in 1961 was in accordance with the customs of the time.

However, it is problematic to look at a movie about racial prejudice in which the only Latina character that it's okay for the main white character to fall in love with is actually played by a white woman in makeup. The fact that we now have a much more diverse cast playing roles that are written as diverse characters is absolutely a valid starting point for a new take on the material.

I don't think that issue alone merits a remake. And for me personally, I do believe that the actor should fit the role, I think you're right about that. However, I do believe that certain actors can pass off as races different from their own, and I believe Natalie Wood did so just fine - like I said, I couldn't tell she wasn't Hispanic the first time I saw the movie. Also, don't forget that Rita Moreno played an Asian character in The King And I, and she was Puerto Rican. The only time it really bothers me is when white actors wear blackface to play African Americans, just given the history of racism on that alone.

This doesn't erase the original film's achievement in any way or mean that we won't compare the two, because of course it is a towering motion picture and no one is going to forget it. But I do think representation is a good thing and a solid foundation upon which to build a new film.

I also think it's a little premature to speculate on what Spielberg is going to do because, apart from a cast list and a couple of set photos, we haven't seen much yet. If the new movie ends up being bad, I'll call it out for that, but for right now I'm going to reserve judgment.

I think that's totally fair. I plan to go see it too, just to say I have seen it if nothing else. But I'm hoping it will pleasantly surprise me.
 

StrongRex

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I'm sorry to hear you've been having issues with the forum. I've never experienced something like what you are describing before, but I was just trying to tell you how editing posts is supposed to work. Why it's not working for you, I don't know.

I figured out the problem. I didn't make sure there was a bracket at the beginning of the first /quote. LOL!
 

Tino

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Anything written is the opinion of that person
Obviously I don’t agree with that. I think it all depends on how a statement is worded. But whatever. We’ve had this discussion a million times. Its a pet peeve of mine. Let’s agree to disagree. Or not.;)
 

Jake Lipson

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However, I do believe that certain actors can pass off as races different from their own, and I believe Natalie Wood did so just fine - like I said, I couldn't tell she wasn't Hispanic the first time I saw the movie.

Well, yeah, they can; it doesn't mean they should. Casting Rita Moreno in The King and I is another example of something that would be viewed as incorrect today but was acceptable at the time it was made.

I don't really see this version truly standing out in any way, but I could be wrong.

Even with the qualifier that you could be wrong, isn't it awfully early to be making a statement like that? To date, we have seen two production photos. That's it. Unless you are involved in the production, which I assume you are not, you don't really have any concrete information on what they are doing with the material.

The only time it really bothers me is when white actors wear blackface to play African Americans, just given the history of racism on that alone.

What is the difference between Natalie Wood being made up to play a Latina and a white person in blackface? It's the same issue and it is a problematic decision in either case by the cultural standards of 2019.
 

Adam Lenhardt

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Isn't that a given on these forums?
Not to Tino, it's not.:) I think of Ana Gasteyer's Judge Lessner from "The Good Wife" every time this comes up:
TheGoodWife_InYourOpinion.gif
 

Chelsearicky

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Well, yeah, they can; it doesn't mean they should. Casting Rita Moreno in The King and I is another example of something that would be viewed as incorrect today but was acceptable at the time it was made.



Even with the qualifier that you could be wrong, isn't it awfully early to be making a statement like that? To date, we have seen two production photos. That's it. Unless you are involved in the production, which I assume you are not, you don't really have any concrete information on what they are doing with the material.



What is the difference between Natalie Wood being made up to play a Latina and a white person in blackface? It's the same issue and it is a problematic decision in either case by the cultural standards of 2019.
Not to Tino, it's not.:) I think of Ana Gasteyer's Judge Lessner from "The Good Wife" every time this comes up:
View attachment 62124
As always, the casting of a white man to play Bernado in the 1961 original is ignored when this topic arises, giving credence to the misogyny angle around this casting complaint.
 

Jake Lipson

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As always, the casting of a white man to play Bernado in the 1961 original is ignored when this topic arises, giving credence to the misogyny angle around this casting complaint.

That was not my intention at all. Bernardo's casting is equally problematic by 2019 standards (though not, of course, by 1961 ones.) I think it's a bit harsh of you to assume misogyny; Natalie Wood just sprung to mind first because she was the lead of the movie. Of course the same standard applies to everyone else, but they weren't the lead.
 
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cinemiracle

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Many people claim that WEST SIDE STORY was based on Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET. (1595).How come that no forum reader has mentioned that Shakespeare took the 'entire' plot and much of it's detail from Arthur Brooke's long poem of 1562? The poem was called THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF ROMEUS AND JULIET. Brooke also based his poem on a French novel which was also taken from an Italian writer . The theme of Romeo and Juliet was a common one for writers in the 15th century. I am always amazed by the thousands of tourists when they visit Verona, take photos of Juliet's balcony. Are they too ignorant to know the real facts that it was never Juliet's balcony and was probably never even built in the early 1300's when events based on the story were said to have happened in real life.
 

Jake Lipson

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Many people claim that WEST SIDE STORY was based on Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET. (1595).

That's because it was. The authors of West Side Story based their work upon Shakespeare's play. It's not something that people just claim like it could be true or it could not be true. It is fact. Saying that people "claim" it as being true is the same as saying that people "claim" the sky is blue or that George Washington was the first president of the United States. It just is.

How come that no forum reader has mentioned that Shakespeare took the 'entire' plot and much of it's detail from Arthur Brooke's long poem of 1562?

Because the poem is not relevant to this discussion? Romeo and Juliet is the source work from which West Side Story was adapted. Whether Shakespeare borrowed elements of it from something else or not has no direct relevance to West Side Story unless the authors of West Side Story also consulted it when constructing their play which (at least to my knowledge) they did not.
 

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