PRESENTATION:
It is consider a master film of the 20th century.
With a score by Leonard Bernstein and a choreography by Jerome Robbins.
Released on October, 1961, the film won 10 Oscar.
The film is set in the 60s, 2 groups of youngsters fight each other for territory in the streets of Manhattan(New York).
One, the Jets, is composed of Americans and is led by Riff.
They consider the nearby streets belongs to them.
The other, the Sharks, is composed of Puerto Rico inmigrants, led by Bernardo.
The conflict is amplified when Bernardo's young sister, María, falls in love with Tony, a member of the Jets.
Fact or Fiction?
A National Youth Gang survey of all cities, suburban areas, towns, and rural counties states that
approximately 850,000 gang members and 30,700 gangs were active in the United States, throughout
3,100 jurisdictions with gang problems (down from 3,300 in 2011).
The number of reported gang-related
homicides increased 20 percent from 1,824 in 2011 to 2,363 in 2012 about 16% of of all homicides in the
United States that year.
2. Many communities across America are plagued with the threat of gangs.
Answer using Complete Sentences :
1-Explain the 2 roles of the gangs and how they felt about each other.
2-What differences between the groups creates problems between them?
3- What is Tony doing when Riff is trying to convince him not to come to the dance?
4. What are the two gangs fighting over? Have you ever known people who hate each other without knowing
each other?
5-In the “Jet Song”:
. What are the Jets and Sharks fighting over and why?
6 • What does it mean “once a Jet, always a Jet”?
7• Why do they say they want to be in the gang?
8-In the scene “Something’s Coming” where Tony tells Riff he wants out of the gang:
9 • What does Riff want Tony to do?
10• What does Tony tell Riff? Why does he want to stay out of the gang?
11What does Riff say in response to Tony?
12 • What isTony’s attitude toward life?
13• Why does Tony agree to go to the dance? Why does he go to the Rumble?
14• What happens to Tony at the Rumble?
15. Write a newspaper article about this musical film.
16 What stereotypes do you see and hear in West side Story ? In "América"?
17 What negative stereotypes about Puerto Ricans? The Polish(the Jets)?
18- Choose a song from the film and create a movie poster advertising the musical based on the song lyrics. The official" West side story"
website contains a list of songs and lyrics for each.
For example if you choose "One hand, one heart" and create a movie poster that shows 2 young people getting married. Or if you choose "I feel pretty" and design a poster around María.
Include the title West side story on the poster,
19- Choose a song and sing it in group .
