Classic musical reclassified over ‘sexist and transphobic remarks’ decades after release
Actors George Chakiris, Tony Mordente, Tucker Smith and Russ Tamblyn in a scene from the musical film ‘West Side Story’, 1961. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Actors George Chakiris, Tony Mordente, Tucker Smith and Russ Tamblyn in a scene from the musical film 'West Side Story', 1961. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
West Side Story has been reclassified after several scenes were deemed unsuitable for younger viewers.
The 1961 film, which follows the tragic romance between Tony and Maria, has been reclassified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) after almost 40 years of holding a PG rating.
Its prior rating, which it was initially given in 1986 by the BBFC, stands for parental guidance and meant viewers of any age could watch it. The film was handed the same classification in 1994, 2003 and 2005.
However, the film is now a 12 certificate, with a disclaimer noting that it features “moderate violence, sexual threat” and “discrimination”.
‘Occasional sexist and transphobic remarks’
The discrimination disclaimer notes: “The film focuses on themes of discrimination and racism; there is directed use of the terms ‘spic’, ‘wop’ and ‘Polak’. There are occasional sexist and transphobic remarks. The film contains a strong condemnatory message towards these attitudes.”
It is thought that the “transphobic remarks” centre around Anybodys, a gender non-conforming character who is depicted as a tomboy who desperately wants to be accepted by the Jets, a gang of white boys who wage a territory war on a rival Puerto Rican gang.
Anybodys was played by Susan Oakes in the film and their gender identity was never really explored in any meaningful detail – which is exactly what you would expect for a film released in 1961.
The film’s new rating also flags people being stabbed as violence, a woman being verbally and physically harassed by a gang of men as sexual violence and sexual threat, and includes additional warnings for the use “comic wordplay around implied strong language”.
In 2021, Disney’s remake of West Side Story was banned in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations due to the inclusion of the character Anybodys.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
