west side story

In 1961, West Side Story, a filmed version of the hit Broadway musical that was inspired by William Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," was released to viewers, who just could not resist the energy and excitement of the movie. Thirty-eight years later, viewers, like myself, still cannot resist it. I had never seen the film, which was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, before, but I had always wondered why people loved this multi award-winning …

…is gang violence. The teens in West Side Story thought that the only way they could solve their disagreement was through violence. Sadly, it is still the same case today with most young adults. However, the gang aspect of this film strikes closer to home today than it did in 1961. Million of kids and young adults are killed in gang-related deaths each year, so West Side Story can offer a valuable lesson to virtually everyone.