This West Side Story 2021 scene is scarier than The Rumble or Tony's death scene ||  

Wow thank you so much y'all for the views and engagements. Appreciate it! I have never been noticed this way before

I think it's powerful that Graziella tries to save Anita and just sees her as another woman in distress and doesn't see race anymore.

The scene is pure terror in both versions. Obviously anyone can assaulted but I think as a woman watching you truly feel empathy and fear for Anita’s situation: she’s outnumbered within a group of angry men. That’s what is truly chilling.

After Anita left valentina said "I know you. I know all of your names. Ever since you were born, I watch you grow. You have grown into rapists. You dishonor yourselves. You dishonor your dead."

Interesting thing to note here that Graziella is wearing Riffs shirt in this scene, so in a way she’s functioning as a stand in for Riff, when the boys throw her out it’s symbolic that they are throwing Riff and his memory out in the cold. Riff might have been a lot of things but he wasn’t a rapist and I don’t believe for one second he would have condoned what the Jets attempted to do here, he would have been disgusted.

This scene illustrates just how important Riff was as this was something he never would have permitted. Also despite her grief and anger, Graziella(along with the other Jet girls) desperately tried to stop the assault. I think it was said in interviews that for this scene there were counselors available for the actors given how intense it was.

fun fact: anita and graziella's actresses are best friends in real life

The fact that even riff would not have done this and that gratziella was terrified broke my heart 😭

This scene will always terriffy me. Jesus Christ. Also, the fact that Graziella herself was trying to get them to stop says something about her, and about them. Riff wouldn't have let this happen.

I like how in this version she had the other girls try and intervene. The original version make me 10 times more anxious because Anita didn't have anyone try and stop the attempted rape, but she was completely vulnerable despite her strong willed character.

0:33 I just adore the fact that girls tried to protect Anita (enemy) from the boys (their friends) 💪

Graziellas “Don’t hurt her, please!” sent chills down my spine

I like that they changed it so that the girls tried to help her too, and not in a half-hearted way either. Literally grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away, until they were thrown out the door, and even then they were banging on the windows, yelling at them not to hurt her. They might have been on opposing sides of the battle, but in that moment, they didn't see Sharks and Jets. Only a fellow woman in need of rescuing from attempted rape. It really makes the scene better in my eyes, and I also liked how this Anita got to fight back a bit and have some agency, while the movie still made it clear that she was a victim.

I obviously knew what to expect, but this scene made me tear up when I saw it on opening night. The fact that she fought back and to see them pull her and Grazi apart before they threw her outside and locked the door. That look on Diesel's face was very sinister and bone chilling. Grazi looking threw the glass and yelling "Don't hurt her please!" is so heartbreaking. OMG 😭😭😭

I can't believe this scene is only 51 seconds. When I first saw it in theaters it felt like it went on much longer it was so horrifying to me

I see alot of comments about the girls being bfs if it wasnt rivalry. I dont think that's true, because gratziella felt the same way about the sharks that the jets did of her own accord. You do not have to be friends with or even like someone, to try and protect them. It's about humanity. Like the expression, "I wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy" exists for a reason. Some people have enough common ground to know what lines not to cross. The gangs hate eachother and openly assault one another, but their personal code keeps them from involving the police because they wouldnt wish prison on one another when they can "handle" it themselves. I doubt believe the women would have been friends, but they have enough respect for themselves and eachother to know there are lines you dont cross, and points in time when it is necessary to stand up. They make no attempt to comfort her after the fact and anita's makes no thanks about their effort. It was a horrible thing about to happen and it was their place to try and stop it like it would be anyones

I was so glad to see that the Jets girls were also screaming and trying to help her. They knew it was wrong. They didn’t care about the rivalry they just wanted to help her. They showed their humanity despite their rivalry. I thought that aspect was a great thing to add

I don't know if it was just me that saw this, but I think Baby John was actually trying to help Anita here. You can see him at 0:40 onwards pushing people away from her and the look of terror on his face. He shouldn't have been a Jet. He was too young and too innocent. Brilliant acting from everyone - but he really stuck out to me.

When I was in this show, this scene was really hard for the cast to perform. They had a long discussion about it before staging it. Every night after they performed it, the boys all gathered around the actress who played Anita and hugged her and apologized. It was actually quite sweet to see.

Riff wouldn’t have let it get to this point and they wouldn’t dare try it if he was still alive, even Valentina points that out by saying “You dishonor your dead”

I'm glad this scene wasn't long and drawn out like the old version was.

During the whole movie, you know this guys are evil, but when they're having fun (like in the police station), you can't help but to like them. This is like a reminder of how fucked up they truly are

I remember watching the trailer, and they showed the close-up of Grazi screaming through a window, and I couldn't figure out what the context might be - and then I actually saw the movie. This scene on the big screen was terrifying, and it's hard to believe it lasts less than a minute.

There's the officer Krupke scene from this movie where the cop locks the boys a room with a single woman when they all leave to run after Anybodys. She gets up from her seat and immediately goes to lock herself in a cell. That to me is very telling. And then later on we get this scene ... where the Jets lock themselves in a room with a lone woman ... The scenes mirror each other, no?

This scene was scarier than the rumble and the death scene in the original movie too, more so than even the 2021 movie. The original West Side Story had more lightheartedness and there is more fun and dancing, so the attempted rape scene feels so intense it is almost out of place against the rest of the movie, whereas in the 2021 movie it fits more with the overall serious tone and grittiness of the movie while still being the most intense scene in the movie.

Sad that the women trying to defend her were literally thrown out. The girls trying to grab her hand is so sad. They wanted to help her so desperately.

I honestly never even noticed but they actually undo her dress at the back dont they? I dont know how I missed that, I thought they were just kinda grabbing her, I didnt realize they were genuinely actually gonna do who knows what with her. That makes me feel even more sick

i do wish they had kept the underscoring of America in this version instead of Dance at the Gym. When America plays in the background in the original movie and stage musical, it was symbolically taking Anita’s song about the things she loves about America and violently throwing it back in her face.

While this scene was hard to watch due to the mistreatment of Anita, I can’t help but feel bad for Graziella too. If I ever saw a bunch of men I thought were my friends do that to another woman when I was begging them to stop, I’d never look at them the same again.

This scene literally made me angry every time I watched it! I went to go see it with my cousin 2 weeks after I was unfortunately almost assaulted at 17 years old and as an 18 year old watching this scene again it still makes me so angry and sad for Anita to go through that

I only read Romeo and Juliet once in high school, I couldn't tell you what this was meant to parallel from that story and I had no idea this happened in WSS. Completely caught me off guard when I first watched this. Also I know this might be a bit of a tone deaf thing to say, especially about an attempted rape scene but the direction cinematography and lighting design are all on point here. The last time Grazie screams enough, she screams it with her whole body and hair as Anita in spun in the corner of the shot. The Camera is slightly tilted as Grazie is thrown out and the reflected light from the signs both outside and inside are on point. Incredible movie.

The underscoring ESPECIALLY at 0:33 really adds to the horror of this scene. Bone-chilling and terrifying, but executed brilliantly.

As a man i find this disturbing anita did not deserve this.

the jets were so fucked up without riff

This version overplayed the Jets' racism and brutality for my part - the original version of this scene felt more horrifying to me because it felt as if I'd gotten to like most of them and even sympathize with the Jets, and then they did this.

I agree, this scene always puts me so inconfortable

This is horrifying..

Recently I watched the new WSS with my young adult daughter when it was on streaming. Because I've seen the original movie several times and know the soundtrack by heart, I was expecting this scene and dreading it. I told my grown child we were skipping right over this scene as it's too upsetting for me and, thankfully, she agreed. The realism and the intensity of these 51 seconds alone were anxiety-provoking.

This is the scariest thing I've ever seen

omg the worst 51 seconds I've seen. really felt bad for that woman and also her friend :((

That moment I wanted to enter inside and kick them one by one

In all honesty....? I feel like the 1961 Riff wouldn't have. Like for sure. But this Riff....Mike did a great job being this manic depressive nihilistic Riff. But he would have maybe... at least egged them on a little bit, participated in the teasing BUT when he saw it was getting too much, plus Grazi getting upset THEN he probably would have said "alright enough". He definitely would have egged on for at least a few minutes though. My personal opinion. Reply

They could've been bffs if it weren't of the rift between two sides

what a moment of pure humanity when you see Graziella try to save Anita. She might be as racist as the rest of the Jets but when a violent crime is actually happening in front of her, she fights against it.

What possessed them to do that? Like what was even the point? Didn’t they all have girlfriends? And they didn’t seem like rapist before this, also why did Valentina let them stay there? Why did Tony? And I hate that wannabe gang member who was sneaking around and snitching, that was infuriating!

The music does not help this scene...

NOO THE GIRLS BANGING AT THE DOOR NOOO

It actually looks a lot worse in the stage version

The last time I watched this I noticed that baby John goes over to diesel and they're the only two who Don't do anything that's genuinely depressing

When anybody’s tells Anita to leave as she’s coming in is he trying to warn her that she’ll get hurt?

LEAVE HER ALONE!!!

I hated this scene.

How did you fuck up audio sync in this day and age?

That's a lot of hair grease...what is this, 'West Side Story' meets 'The Outsiders'? Where are Ponyboy, Soda and Darry?

Modern 2021 version😊😮ok first time seeing this scene. Then the real anita 1961 comes in. 😅 rescueing the fake one.

I don't mean to defend the Jets', but they had every right to be upset.

This scene would be really terrifying if the acting was a bit better imo

Seemed a bit weird that graziella yells at Anita for speaking Spanish, then switches to defending her in a second. I get that they wanted women supporting women, but historically a white woman would not have done this

I really didn’t like how, in this version, they had the jets girls try to help Anita and stop the Jets from hurting her. What made the scene of Anita getting assaulted so disturbing in the original film was how there was nobody there to stop the jets or control them, since Riff was dead and Ice had gone out to go find Chino, as well as the fact that Anita was all alone with nobody there to protect her until Doc showed up just seconds before they were about to start raping her. Having the jets girls trying to help Anita in this version completely lowered the stakes and made this scene increasingly toned down then how it was in the original film

I wonder what the actors where feeling while shooting this. They must have been diamond hard and she must have been DRENCHED (considering it´s you know, acting and everyone is completely safe)

That 1.5 seconds where Grazie reaches for Anita’s hand was more bridging of racial divide than Tony’s and Maria’s relationship ever was 🫢