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| re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 02:04 am EST 12/30/21 | |
| In reply to: re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... - Chazwaza 01:51 am EST 12/30/21 | |
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| I'll have to think about what you've written and consider all that. But my initial reaction to what I saw in the film and to your post is that IMO, Valentina made the only decision she felt was responsible - to take Chino to the police, and face the consequences of the murder. I'm not sure that the revenge motive counts for much - though assumedly the cops (even if biased as you point out) would assumedly sort that out later. I also don't think that any of the other boys, on either side, would be safe from investigation etc. But ultimately - and you have every right to disagree, - I get the sense that Valentina was trying to do the right thing by turning Chino in. Or at least what she felt was right in the moment. You know what really bothered me, though? Why two shots? It's only one shot in the stage show (and I have a rather personal connection to that moment, which I can write about later) - I felt the 2nd shot weakened the moment. |
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| re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 02:13 am EST 12/30/21 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 02:10 am EST 12/30/21 | |
| In reply to: re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... - Chromolume 02:04 am EST 12/30/21 | |
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| All I can say is, imagine what another poor brown immigrant would think of Valentina making the choice to turn Chino in in that moment, for that specific crime, to those cops in this neighbors. There's a reason non-white and economically struggling people generally involve the police as little as possible no matter what happened. I can't imagine how in that moment Valentina as we know her, given what she's been through in her life, and what she's been through in the last 24 hours with these kids and these senseless losses of life, would be thinking that it is her responsibility to turn in Chino... especially when she absolutely didn't have to. When the police would have little way of knowing what happened or who did it, or that Valentina was there. Her responsibility is to these lost teens struggling to figure out their place in this world through oppression and poverty etc etc... at this moment more than ever I think she'd understand her responsibility is to get involved to give a safe space to them now that the fighting is over, and to not insert herself by aiding the racist police. But no matter what either of us think about this moment or Valentina's mindset... I sincerely doubt that the POC communities this film is aimed toward welcoming to this musical want to see that character make that choice... an oppressed brown woman turning in an oppressed brown teenager to the police. I'm honestly surprised I haven't heard or read any blow back about that. Maybe I'm overestimating it, or maybe white people are the majority of the people seeing it... but I'm sure a lot of "woke" white people are seeing it, and it just seems so tone deaf in this time we're in to end the movie on that note. I agree about the 2nd shot. |
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| re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 02:40 am EST 12/30/21 | |
| In reply to: re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... - Chazwaza 02:10 am EST 12/30/21 | |
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| All of this is food for thought, Thanks. About the gunshot - I've probably told this story before, but...the first time I did the show, I was still in high school, playing in the pit for a summer youth production. This was in the early 80's, and the orchestra parts at the time were most certainly facsimiles of the originals. (Since then, MTI has done new, computerized sets.) In the pit piano part, at the a cappella "Somewhere" reprise where Tony dies, was a note that the pianist should play Maria's starting pitch at the same time as the gunshot, and then again very very softly before she sings, if needed. Obviously the idea was to "sneak" her the note during that loud moment. Which was a very cool responsibility lol, but it was also annoying, as I then really had to concentrate on watching for the gun to go off, instead of being able to "get into" the scene. But it was fun to be involved in that moment nevertheless. Since that time, in the newer parts, that instruction is gone, so now I feel like doing that was a part of the show's history that's gone away. If I ever get to do the show again, and it made sense to do, I would definitely put that note back in. :-) In any case, as a result, I know a secret about that gunshot - always with a hint of piano D# underneath it - that most people would have no idea about. ;-) |
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| re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 04:47 am EST 12/30/21 | |
| In reply to: re: i found the final image of film to be a baffling misstep... - Chromolume 02:40 am EST 12/30/21 | |
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| I wonder why that instruction has been taken out... seems very reasonable to do that for the singer. | |
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