After years of being friends with theatre kids in high school and even playing a compilation of its songs in my concert band, I can't believe it has taken me this long to finally see West Side Story. Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise's beloved 1961 adaptation of this ever-popular musical is a fantastic love story with such great performances and unforgettable musical numbers. Adapted from the likes of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this movie has become known as one of the most pivotal love stories in the popular culture of today, crossing lines and exploring themes that had never been explored before. Despite this movie being a bit awkwardly directed at times and having a lack of focus around some of its most critical characters, I still very much enjoyed my first viewing of this renowned, theatrical film.
In the slums of New York City lie the Jets and the Sharks - two rival gangs who have been fighting for dominance over the streets. When Tony (Richard Beymer), ex-leader of the Jets, falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), sister of the Sharks' Bernardo (George Chakiris), they must try to hide their love to preserve order. Once they realize how difficult that will be, they instead decide to try and use this love to unite the two vicious, battling groups of friends. This script, written by Ernest Lehman, is a simple one, yet is effective enough to maintain a following for generations. Since this movie is based on the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, there was a lot of chance to potentially take too much from that story without making an original enough story on their own. However, I am so glad that this film takes the basic premise to begin with while providing an entire slew of plot details and themes that were not prevalent in the 16th-century classic. The generic idea of having two people fall in love quickly and intensely while their story ends in tragedy is one of West Side Story's biggest topics, but the way that Lehman incorporates the themes of race and class into this film is amazing as well. It was so interesting to not just view but also compare the plight of the two different groups throughout this film and how their battles can be easily compared to those of today. The Sharks and their fight with being considered actual Americans and not just immigrated Puerto-Ricans is something that is, of course, very prevalent today, along with the Jets' refusal to accept the introduction of another culture. This dynamic was the most engaging part of this whole film and to be able to see the two different sides' opinions in such great detail was very important, especially for the divisive time in which this movie was released. I adored the balance between the love story and the larger-scale race war and how they tied into each other definitely set the standard for how to tell a sweeping, entertaining story.
The actual production of this film and the elements that go into making it such a classic are also something to marvel over. Beymer and Wood's performances are incredible and bring the much-needed charisma to this film. Without the amazing, on-screen chemistry between the two, there would not be much optimistic hope for this film to thrive on, which is ironic given that Beymer and Wood apparently despised each other during filming. Leonard Bernstein's soundtrack and subsequent dance numbers throughout this film are phenomenal. Jerome Robbins also handled the choreography throughout this movie, which was entrancing in every scene. It is very hard to keep an audience interested for a ten-minute opening number without any dialogue, but he pulled it off with absolute grace. The only issues I have with West Side Story, despite its exciting and colorful aesthetic, are elements of its writing and direction. Many of the songs' lyrics and a lot of character treatment are gleamingly outdated and I wish that certain characters would have been given more screentime to develop. Natalie Wood, a white woman, also plays the part of a Puerto-Rican, which would obviously not be acceptable today, but is understandable due to this film's era in which it was released. Robbins and Wise's direction in this film is also a bit choppy at times; a lot of scenes could have easily been trimmed down or even entirely cut in order to make this story a bit more concise. Despite these minor, personal issues, there is much to love about this legendary musical which has paved the way for generations of theatre-goers to enjoy.
It will be undoubtedly interesting to see how Steven Spielberg handles this film's remake, planned to come out at the end of 2020 with Ansel Elgort and relative newcomer Rachel Zegler attached. 1961's West Side Story, however, is definitely the defining version of this story, as it gave audiences such an inspiring look at how two people from incredibly different backgrounds can fall for each other. This lively film proves the cliché that love knows no boundaries and the heartbreaking story that comes with it is as poetic as it is melancholic.
My Rating: ★★★★
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