West Side Story (1961)
Directed by Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Film Review

More than half a century after it first captivated audiences with its extraordinarily vibrant dance sequences and memorably evocative songs,  West Side Story remains one of the most highly regarded and satisfying of all American film musicals, and how could it not, given that it has a score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim?  The film is a near-perfect screen adaptation of the stage musical of the same title by Arthur Laurents, which is itself inspired by Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet and was first performed on Broadway in 1957.  With such feisty and hummable numbers as America, Jet Song, Maria and I Feel Pretty, West Side Story is a top-notch musical extravaganza that can hardly fail to hit the spot. 

The man who directed and choreographed the original award-winning stage production with such flair, Jerome Robbins, was the obvious choice to direct the film, but seasoned director Robert Wise was brought in to oversee the non-musical sequences.  As it turned out, Robbins' perfectionism drove the film over-budget and resulted in his being dismissed by the film's producers, but only after he had completed some remarkable work, including the film's unforgettable opening sequence and its more ambitious musical numbers.  The film won ten of the eleven Oscars for which it was nominated (an unprecedented achievement for a musical), including awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (George Chakiris), Best Supporting Actress (Rita Moreno), Best Music and Best Cinematography.  The film took over 40 million dollars at the box office worldwide, more than six times what it cost to make.

The distinctly lacklustre performances from the principals, Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer (who are as wooden as they are pretty, oh so pretty), are made up for by the far gutsier contributions from Rita Moreno and George Chakiris, who provide the energy and spark that is so obviously lacking in the rest of the cast.  The main star of the film is, however, Leonard Bernstein's music, which is as well-suited to evoke the the joys and torments of a teenage romance as it is to underscore the drama and tension of an escalating conflict between the two rival street gangs.  The film is far less interesting as a teen love story than as a wry commentary on the flagrant ills of contemporary American society, exposing the ugly underbelly of the American dream through the prevalence of juvenile delinquency and a seemingly insuperable barrage of racial intolerance.  Whilst West Side Story may appear a tad naive and simplistic by today's standards, it continues to strike a chord, and the sheer flair and energy of its musical numbers have made it a timeless classic of American cinema.

Film Synopsis

New York City in the late 1950s.  Two rival gangs of youths, the Jets and the Sharks, fight an increasingly fierce turf war on the streets of Manhattan.  The native white Jets are led by Riff Lorton, a tough street kid who is determined to drive out the Sharks, Puerto Rican immigrants led by Bernardo Nunez.  After the gangs' latest confrontation is broken up by no-nonsense cops, Riff decides that they should have one last battle to decide who will take the territory once and for all.  He intends putting this proposition to the Sharks later that night, after a dance which both gangs are sure to attend.  Riff is confident that he can persuade his old friend Tony Wycek to rejoin the gang and help defeat the Sharks, but Tony is happy in his new life as an assistant in a drugstore and has no interest in joining in a full-scale gang war.  At the dance, Tony meets and falls instantly in love with Bernardo's attractive younger sister, Maria.  The attraction is mutual and the two youngsters can hardly wait to be married, although both are well aware of the opposition they will encounter from their peers and parents.  Urged by Maria, Tony prevents a bloody street war between the two gangs and persuades Riff and Bernado to settle for a one-on-one duel between two chosen members of their gangs.  The duel soon gets out of hand and ends with Bernado stabbing Riff to death.  Appalled at the slaying of his best friend, Tony lunges at Bernado with his knife and kills him.  Aware that the Sharks are after his blood, Tony goes into hiding.  His hopes are shattered when he is told that Maria has been shot dead by Bernardo's friend Chino...