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.
© James Travers 2012
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
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...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.