West Side Story

At a Glance:
Title: West Side Story
Rating: None
Moral Rating: Moderate
Nudity: Low
Profanity: Low
Violence: Moderate

Synopsis/Overview: West Side Story is the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet set in (what was then) modern day Manhattan. Two rival street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets fight over territory. The Jets are a dominant gang of Americans who feel threatened by the Porto Rican gang, the Sharks, who have been trying to invade their territory ever since they immigrated to NYC. The co-founder of the Jets, Tony, has distanced himself from the gang and is now trying to live a good life. Maria is the beautiful young sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Tony and Maria meet at a dance. And so the scene is set.

West Side Story is one of the most loved and recognized musicals of all times. Many of the songs are still sung today (think "America," "Somewhere," and "Tonight"). The dancing isn't all professional, and some of the singing isn't world class. The filming isn't the best of the era. But that's the charm of it. There's nothing glamorous about New York street gangs, and the way the movie is made reflects that in a beautifully moving manner. It gives us a glimpse at the fragileness of human life, the power of love, and dangers of disregarding both.

Some of the scenes with harder themes (like one of the earlier fight scenes) are depicted through dance so you focus on the moving story rather than the violence. The killing scenes show no blood and guts, but instead display the very real emotions of those looking on. Despite the usual in romance (kissing, and "love at first sight"), the film is generally clean despite one scene in which we find Tony and Maria on a bed, Tony without a shirt.

The film is not recommended for younger children. It isn't inappropriate for them to watch, but when they are older, the film will have more of an impact as they will be able to understand the messages.

Trivia: West Side Story was a Broadway musical before it became a movie. The film won 10 Oscars, and 10 out of it's 11 nominations for Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which gives it more awards than any other musical ever produced. In the year it was released, 1961, it became the second highest grossing film in America and it's soundtrack made more money than any other musical soundtrack before it.

If you're wondering why Natalie Wood, who plays Maria, looks so familiar, maybe you've seen the movie Miracle on 34th Street. She's all grown up now, but played the role of Susan in that movie when she was younger. Also, it's been a few years, but Russ Tamblyn, playing Riff, Tony's best friend and the leader of the Jets, was the youngest brother, Gideon, in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Both of the leads, Natalie Wood, as Maria, and Richard Beymer, as Tony, didn't have "refined" voices, so their singing was partially dubbed in some of the songs.

Elvis was briefly considered for the part of Tony, but he and his agent turned down the role.

Conclusion: West Side Story is a beautiful re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. It is moving; the dramatics are very well done and it is a classic unlike any other that I can wholeheartedly recommend.