I had the opposite reaction: in this version of "Cool", Tony has ample opportunities to throw the gun away and doesn't. Instead, he takes it from Riff, tells Riff not to use it, and then... dangles it there for Riff to take? Because, what, he's not really dedicated to keeping the peace? Because he's so torn between these two worlds that he can only halfheartedly attempt to prevent the apocalypse? (Which, that latter version maybe could work, but it could have used a clearer staging to tell that story).
"Cool" in the film is one of a string of moments that turn Tony from a hapless guy caught up in a difficult situation to a hot-blooded murderer who does indeed kill Maria's brother both viciously and intentionally. It makes for a more complicated drama, but for me it undercut the ending: this time around, I was thoroughly in agreement with Anita and felt like the smartest thing Maria could do would be to let Tony leave without her. |
