West Side Story review
Review:
West Side Story is remarkable for its seamless transference from stage musical to screen classic, with the complete Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim song score intact, as well as the choreography of Jerome Robbins. The story, derived from Romeo and Juliet, works on a symbolic rather than realistic level; there is no pretense that this is a true representation of what New York City gangs were like circa 1960. Veteran director Robert Wise is probably the person most responsible for the film's success, and for retaining the best qualities of the stage production, though co-director Robbins, who feuded with Wise throughout the production, would likely disagree. After several weeks of delayed production due to Robbins' insistence on extra rehearsals, Wise tired of the Broadway legend and had him removed from the set. West Side Story swept the Oscars, taking ten awards, including awards for Best Picture and its decidedly non-cordial co-directors. The Academy gave a special choreography award to Robbins, who thanked a great many people in his acceptance speech, noticeably failing to mention Wise. by Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
AMC Member Reviews:
Loosely based on Romeo & Juliet and set in the fingersnapping, pulsating West Side of 1960's New York City, West Side Story is about two warring street gangs-the White ethnic American Jets and the newly-arrived Puerto Rican Sharks, and about how constant conflict and warfare destroys the love of Tony, and ex-Jets leader and founder, and Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the Sharks gangleader. Tensions between the Jets and Sharks, which have been steadily on the increase, escalate sharply as Tony and Maria meet at a local dance that night at a nearby gym, fall in love, and begin to dance together, but are pulled up short by an enraged Bernardo. From then on, things go furthur downhill, as a war council takes place, a dispute among the Sharks and their girlfriends about the American experience's vices and virtues, a mock wedding between Tony and Maria in the Bridal Shop where Maria and Anita both work as seamstresses, and, ultimately, the Rumble, which, although it starts out as a fist fight, ends as a knife fight, with three deaths; Riff, Bernardo, and Tony.
Although it's enjoyable on TV, WSS is best when viewed in a real movie threat, on a great big, wide screen with the lights down low. Although Richard Beymer's a weak, lacklustre Tony, even he, along with all the other actors/actresses in this great movie/musical oldie-but-goody classic. comes off as much more vital and alive in this instinct. The various characters, from the warring Jets & Sharks, to the romancing Tony and Maria, and the suspicious sinister cops, Schrank and Krupke, to the kindly Candy Store owner "Doc" seem even more vital on a great big, wide movie screen like that.
To quote MGM 'Uniike other classics, West Side Story grows younger."
