November, Thuesday, 15th

Today we made a comparaison between the balcony scene of West Side Story and the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet to see the similarities and the differences. 

You can watch the two balcony scene : 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Similarities : 

- It takes place at night. Night keeps their secret, it's a time when you can dream and your dreams will come be true.

- They said 7 times "Good night !"

- She doesn't want Tony to see her father because she knows she won't like him.

- They know they are different from the rest of the world : "They are not one of us".

- Symbol of the balcony : it's both part of her intimacy, but also outside her world (the world rejects).

- Tony is more excited than Maria. She seems to be more sensible.

Differences : 

- There is a change in roles : at the beginning Maria calms his down, at the end it's Tony who says "Shhhh". They are aware of the danger. 

- They didn't kiss.

- They sing together.

- Maria saw Tony first.

- Tony steps on the balcony : they are on an equal footing.

- The balcony is an emergency staircase which looks like a jail (maybe it's symbolizes the prison in which their social background had put them).

We also made a problematic with the common themes : 

- "star crossed lovers".

- Their love is impossible in this world.

- Yet, they challenge their families or gang to love each other. They bretray their origins.

- They were in a world apart. 

- "It's not us. It's everything around us" (Maria). Here Maria means the problem comes from the others who are hateful. Romeo and Juliet just like Tony and Maria symbolizes the perfet, ideal love which can not exist in a world full of hatred. 

> Problematic : Love between two peoples : a necessary confrontation which the outside world ?

We have also made a translation about the song : "Somewhere" :

Il y a un endroit pour nous,

quelque part un endroit pour nous.

Paix, silence et air pur

Nous attendent quelque part.

Il y a un moment pour nous,

Un jour, un moment pour nous,

Un moment ensemble avec des choses à vivre,

Un moment à voir, un moment à sentir.

Un jour ! Quelque part !

Nous trouverons un nouveau chemin de vie,

Un chemin plus clément,

Quelque part.

Il y a un endroit pour nous

Un moment, un lieu rien que pour nous.

Prends-moi la main et nous y sommes déjà à demi,

Prends-moi la main et je t'y emmènerais là-bas,

Peu important comment, peu importe quand, mais simplement quelque part...