West Side Story

 

West side story is the award winning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The feuding families become two warring New York City gangs- the american Jets led by Riff and the Puerto Rican Sharks, led by Bernardo. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding. But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony and Bernardo's younger sister Maria meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love. Maria and Tony begin meeting in secret, planning to run away. Then the Sharks and Jets plan a rumble under the highway - whoever wins gains control of the streets. Maria sends Tony to stop it, hoping it can end the violence. It goes terribly wrong, and before the lovers know what's happened, tragedy strikes and doesn't stop until the climactic and heartbreaking ending. 


West Side Story could help me for my ideas in my radio play mainly because it takes the whole story of Romeo and Juliet and modernizes it for the audience. There is also a certain sense of gangs instead of feuding families which is similar to the Jews and Germans in the radio play. The lovers in this film also have a doomed love affair which the audience know will not end happily. Finally there also seems to be the whole issue of taking control of something by fighting for instance the Jets and the Sharks have a rumble in order to get possession of the streets which is the same as the Germans fighting in WW2. 
At the end of this tale the male also dies and the war between the gangs stops - which is similar to Billy and Helena at the end of the story and the war stopping