Timelines in films that make no sense (contains huge west side story spoilers)

[newlabelwriter]

Watched Westside Story last night and while I did enjoy it the timeline really made zero sense.

Maria and Tony meet at the dance, quick snog and hour later he turns up at her flat and arrange to meet next day. Meet next day go to a church near Harlem, he promises to stop fight. Fails to stop fight and then his BFF gets killed, he then kills her brother and then they arrange to run away together. He then gets killed too. This all happens over 36 hours. In the words of my DS ‘that escalated quickly’.

Well, it's a version of Romeo and Juliet, where in the course of a single evening they meet, fall in love, and decide to marry, the next afternooon they actually get married, Romeo gets into a fight, kills Tybalt and is banished, and Juliet is told she has to marry Paris before spending her wedding night with Romeo -- I know it takes a couple of more days for them to actually both die, but it's still pretty nippy!

You're not wrong. I am always doubtful about the Jack and Rose storyline in Titanic too. When she dies at the end, her spirit reunites not with her husband and the father of her children, but with a chap she knew for four days. I do like the film, the depictions of actual events are very good. but still...

I barely have time to text after first date let alone decide to leave home and call off massive street brawls.

I love West Side Story but the whole thing could have been avoided if either Tony or Maria had just made an anonymous phone call to the police giving them the time and place for the rumble.

It copies the Romeo and Juliet timeline. Everything happens within the space of 3/4 days.

That's true love for you!

of course if he hadn't been killed and they had run off together, in 5 years they would have three kids and they would have been at each other's throats

As it is, you get the tragedy of star crossed lovers whose love will remain eternal and unblemished by reality

Ditto Jack and Rose

It’s a Shakespearean thing.

Double time scheme.

Othello is famous for it.

That's part of the point, isn't it?

There's an attractiveness about how bold, intense and rash their love it and it contrasts with our rational scepticism about how 'true' their love can be, and how foolish young love can be.

Read more Shakespeare!

Yes, maybe that's the answer.

PleaseBeSeated

Well, it's a version of Romeo and Juliet, where in the course of a single evening they meet, fall in love, and decide to marry, the next afternooon they actually get married, Romeo gets into a fight, kills Tybalt and is banished, and Juliet is told she has to marry Paris before spending her wedding night with Romeo -- I know it takes a couple of more days for them to actually both die, but it's still pretty nippy!

Not forgetting Mercutio! They packed a lot in 😂