West Side Story

Plot synopsis:
=== Act 1 ===
Two rival teenage gangs, the Jets (White) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican immigrants), struggle for control of the neighborhood somewhere in the Upper West Side of New York City amidst the police (Prologue). They are warned by Lt. Schrank and Officer Krupke to stop fighting on their beat. The police chase the Sharks off, and then the Jets plan how they can assure their continued dominance of the street. The Jets' leader, Riff, suggests setting up a rumble with the Sharks. He plans to make the challenge to Bernardo, the Sharks' leader, that night at the neighborhood dance. Riff wants to convince his friend and former member of the Jets, Tony, to meet the Jets at the dance. Some of the Jets are unsure of his loyalty, but Riff is adamant that Tony is still one of them ("Jet Song"). Riff meets Tony while he's working at Doc's Drugstore to persuade him to come. Tony initially refuses, but Riff wins him over. Tony is convinced that something important is round the corner ("Something's Coming").
Maria works in a bridal shop with Anita, the girlfriend of her brother, Bernardo. Maria has just arrived from Puerto Rico for her arranged marriage to Chino, a friend of Bernardo's. Maria confesses to Anita that she is not in love with Chino. Anita makes Maria a dress to wear to the neighborhood dance.
At the dance, after introductions, the teenagers begin to dance; soon a challenge dance is called ("Dance at the Gym"), during which Tony and Maria (who aren't taking part in the challenge dance) see each other across the room and are drawn to each other. They dance together, forgetting the tension in the room, and fall in love, but Bernardo pulls his sister from Tony and sends her home. Riff and Bernardo agree to meet for a War Council at Doc's, a drug store which is considered neutral ground, but meanwhile, an infatuated and happy Tony finds Maria's building and serenades her outside her bedroom ("Maria"). She appears on her fire escape, and the two profess their love for one another ("Tonight"). Meanwhile, Anita, Rosalia, and the other Shark girls discuss the differences between the territory of Puerto Rico and the mainland United States of America, with Anita defending America, and Rosalia yearning for Puerto Rico ("America").
The Jets get antsy while waiting for the Sharks inside Doc's Drug Store. Riff helps them let out their aggression ("Cool"). The Sharks arrive to discuss weapons to use in the rumble. Tony suggests "a fair fight" (fists only), which the leaders agree to, despite the other members' protests. Bernardo believes that he will fight Tony, but must settle for fighting Diesel, Riff's second-in-command, instead. This is followed by a monologue by the ineffective Lt. Schrank trying to find out the location of the rumble. Tony tells Doc about Maria. Doc is worried for them while Tony is convinced that nothing can go wrong; he is in love.
The next day, Maria is in a very happy mood at the bridal shop, as she anticipates seeing Tony again. However, she learns about the upcoming rumble from Anita and is dismayed. When Tony arrives, Maria asks him to stop the fight altogether, which he agrees to do. Before he goes, they dream of their wedding ("One Hand, One Heart"). Tony, Maria, Anita, Bernardo and the Sharks, and Riff and the Jets all anticipate the events to come that night ("Tonight Quintet"). The gangs meet under the highway and, as the fight between Bernardo and Diesel begins, Tony arrives and tries to stop it. Though Bernardo taunts Tony, ridiculing his attempt to make peace and provoking him in every way, Tony keeps his composure. When Bernardo pushes Tony, Riff punches him in Tony's defense. The two draw their switchblades and get in a fight ("The Rumble"). Tony attempts to intervene, inadvertently leading to Riff being fatally stabbed by Bernardo. Tony kills Bernardo in a fit of rage, which in turn provokes an all-out fight like the fight in the Prologue. The sound of approaching police sirens is heard, and everyone scatters, except Tony, who stands in shock at what he has done. The tomboy Anybodys, who stubbornly wishes that she could become a Jet, tells Tony to flee from the scene at the last moment and flees with the knives. Only the bodies of Riff and Bernardo remain.
=== Act 2 ===
Blissfully unaware of the gangs' plans for that night, Maria daydreams about seeing Tony with her friends—Rosalia, Consuelo, Teresita and Francisca ("I Feel Pretty"). Later, as Maria dances on the roof happily because she has seen Tony and believes he went to stop the rumble, Chino brings the news that Tony has killed Bernardo. Maria flees to her bedroom, praying that Chino is lying. Tony arrives to see Maria and she initially pounds on his chest with rage, but she still loves him. They plan to run away together. As the walls of Maria's bedroom disappear, they find themselves in a dreamlike world of peace ("Somewhere").
Two of the Jets, A-Rab and Baby John, are set on by Officer Krupke, but they manage to escape him. They meet the rest of the gang. To cheer themselves up, they lampoon Officer Krupke, and the other adults who don't understand them, ("Gee Officer Krupke"). Anybodys arrives and tells the Jets she has been spying on the Puerto Ricans; she has discovered that Chino is looking for Tony with a gun. The gang separates to find Tony. Action accepts Anybodys into the Jets, and includes her in the search.
A grieving Anita arrives at Maria's apartment. As Tony leaves, he tells Maria to meet him at Doc's so they can run away to the country. In spite of her attempts to conceal it, Anita sees that Tony has been with Maria, and launches an angry tirade against him, ("A Boy Like That"). Maria counters by telling Anita how powerful love is, ("I Have a Love"), though, and Anita realizes that Maria loves Tony as much as she had loved Bernardo. She admits that Chino has a gun and is looking for Tony.
Lt. Schrank arrives to question Maria about her brother's death, and Anita agrees to go to Doc's to tell Tony to wait. Unfortunately, the Jets, including Anybodys, who have found Tony, have congregated at Doc's, and they taunt Anita with racist slurs and eventually simulate rape. Doc arrives and stops them. Anita is furious, and in anger spitefully delivers the wrong message, telling the Jets that Chino has shot Maria dead.
Doc relates the news to Tony, who has been dreaming of heading to the countryside to have children with Maria. Feeling there is no longer anything to live for, Tony leaves to find Chino, begging for him to shoot him as well. Just as Tony sees Maria alive, Chino arrives and shoots Tony. The Jets, Sharks, and adults flock around the lovers. Maria holds Tony in her arms (and sings a quiet, brief reprise of "Somewhere") as he dies. Angry at the death of another friend, the Jets move towards the Sharks but Maria takes Chino's gun and tells everyone that "all of [them]" killed Tony and the others because of their hate for each other, and, "Now I can kill too, because now I have hate!" she yells. However, she is unable to bring herself to fire the gun and drops it, crying in grief. Gradually, all the members of both gangs assemble on either side of Tony's body, showing that the feud is over. The Jets and Sharks form a procession, and together carry Tony away, with Maria the last one in the procession.

Tags: tragedy, revenge, murder, romantic, entertaining

Review:
Beginning with the overture and the opening scenes of New York City, circa 1960, it almost screams "classic." Some have criticized Natalie Wood's Maria (her dubious accent and the dubbed-in singing) or Richard Beymer's Tony (his slightly smarmy interpretation of the ex gang member gone straight), but the fact remains, their wholesome, fresh-faced characterizations defined the roles.
And you simply can't top the film's instrumental score, its great songs ("Maria," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty," "A Place For Us," "I Have a Love," and "Officer Krupke"), its excellent choreography, or its very effective cinematography.
Rita Moreno, as Anita, delivers what was probably her best performance in the movies, in particular her dancing and singing in "America," while Russ Tamblyn, as Rif, the charismatic leader of the Jets, is seldom given the credit he deserved.
I remember Bernstein in the documentary about the concert version of West Side Story saying, aside to the camera, after "Cool, Boy" was recorded, "You know, this is pretty good..." One of the great understatements, even if coming from the music's creator.See this film.
It is a testament to the musical and theatrical brilliance of "West Side Story" that this teenage urban love story, set to Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet," has survived its outmoded 50s-style book (Arthur Laurents) replete with "Dead End Kids" posturings and corny, streetwise lingo (I still cringe when I hear the word "daddio").
And nowhere will you find a more dynamic, better-crafted musical that arguably surpasses its Broadway stage predecessor from overture to finale.Maria, a lovely, innocent Puerto-Rican girl ("Juliet") and sister of a formidable gang leader, falls for an opposing though reluctant white-skinned gang member Tony ("Romeo") with tragic results.
This highly-energized film clearly captures the vibrant atmosphere of the late 1950s, where rival youth gangs get their prejudiced, little noses out of joint and prepare to rumble in the streets of NYC.With its memorable music and songs, dazzling choreography, striking sets and superb direction by Robert Wise, West Side Story is truly a triumph on every level.This film is a magnificent achievement that (back in 1961) set a whole new standard for modern-day movie Musicals..
The story is hundreds of years old, and now with the onset of drive-by shootings, the threat to the community presented by the Jets and Sharks seems a little dated, but then there's the amazing Bernstein score, and the fabulous Robbins' choreography, heartbreaking songs by Sondheim like "One Hand, One Heart" and "I Have a Love," innovative camera work by director Robert Wise, and unforgettable performances by the luminous Natalie Wood and the phenomenal Rita Moreno.I'm not old enough to have seen the original Broadway play, but I saw a recent revival, and the movie even improves on the play by moving a couple of musical numbers around so they fit better with the plot.
Great movie musicals are few and far between these days ('Chicago' sold well--I couldn't quite deal with Richard Gere as a song and dance man); I wish there was another 'West Side Story' in store to entertain me for the next 50 years of my life..
Tony from the Jets (Richard Beymer) falls in love with Puerto Rican Maria (Natalie Wood) whose brother Bernardo (George Chakiris) belongs to the Sharks.
I have a few minor quibbles: How did Tony know where Maria's apartment was?; "I Feel Pretty" is actually hilarious--check out Wood's "dancing"; the "Cool" number is great to look at but brings the movie to a screeching halt.But everything else works.
All they need is to lighten up, stop being afraid of a little music and dance, and realise that gritty realism isn't the only way to make a point.*In his book, The Making of West Side Story, which is about the Broadway production..
Viewing WEST SIDE STORY last night on TCM for the first time in years, I realized what an impact this made on film musicals with its innovative use of dazzling choreography and high-flying camera-work that made it a cinematic experience rather than a stage-bound one.Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins directed this poignant and powerful musical with a talented cast of performers--Natalie Wood at her dewy-eyed loveliest as the Juliet-like heroine and Richard Beymer doing his best to bring some heart-felt passion to the role of the Romeo-like Tony, but he's too refined to be believable as an ex-gang member.
West Side Story promoted literacy and taste for a generation and you can't get a higher accolade than that.It's a difficult production also because it involves skill in acting, in dance, and you've got to have a great singing voice to deal with Leonard Bernstein's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics.
Unfortunately there wasn't a movie name in the lot.Acting and dancing can't be faked on the silver screen, but singing can be dubbed as it was for leads Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood.
These numbers together with the accompanying Jerome Robbins choreography are some of the best examples of all the components of a successful musical working together.The ballads like Tonight, I Feel Pretty, A Place For Us, require almost opera like voices to sing them.
But her performance is nothing less than a harbinger of what Hilary Swank did as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry.Like the kids from Romeo and Juliet and 16th century Verona, Italy, West Side Story is about young people just trying to find a place in time and space, finding a new way of living away from the dumb prejudices of their elders.
They almost break free too.West Side Story won 10 Academy Awards including a joint Best Director Oscar for Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, Best Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress for George Chakiris and Rita Moreno and a flock of technical awards.
It has a gorgeous restored picture (important for visual effects like the dissolve of Natalie Wood spinning around in the bridal shop which blurs and multiplies and finally erupts into multiple dancers who converge at the gym, or the first time Tony and Maria see each other against the blur of the dance competition on opposite sides of the screen) and pristine sound- probably the most gorgeous score ever composed by Leonard Bernstein.
But West Side Story did have some entertaining dancing and choreography, and some great music and singing as well.WEST SIDE STORY is a modern (although now it's a little older) version of Romeo & Juliet, taking place in New York City.
Tony (Richard Beymer), former leader of the Jets, falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of Sharks' leader Bernardo (George Chakiris).
They try to keep their love alive while the two gangs try to tear it apart, all the time singing songs and dancing.The acting is not too great, but the singing and dancing is very good, and that's more important in a movie like this one.
But all of them are only there to support the love story between Tony and Maria.At times, I found this movie downright boring, and especially in the beginning-middle, I was not always paying attention.
Add to that story an impeccable score written by musical theatre legends Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, some vivid choreography by the legendary Jerome Robbins and you have something that can capture the hearts of almost anyone.In 1950s New York City, the streets are owned by the gangs: the Jets, good old American bad boys, and the Sharks, Puerto Rican immigrants.
The story is timeless, the dancing highly energetic and innovative, the acting strong, especially that of Russ Tamblyn who gives one of the great performances in movie musical history.
If you like movies with great music, wonderful dancing and a compelling story, watch this movie.One other point: regarding the song "Tonight", this play takes the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and propels it to new heights of dramatic power, transforming the poetry of Shakespeare into a musical number that is not only enjoyable, inspirational and memorable but iconic, especially the version as performed by the original performers of the song, Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence..
There must be some secret command in movie writing that you can never leave a gang and if your try your character always ends up dead!}  Rita Moreno and George Chakiris play Anita and Bernardo much better than Maria and Tony as far as the actual acting goes.
After all, this is a musical play on film!Yes, there is nothing like seeing a movie the "old-fashioned" way on a large Cinemascope theater screen!...As Siskel and Ebert would say, "Two Thumbs Up!".
Settled in New York's West Side two juvenile gangs fight each other for supremacy,Jets are white native people and the Sharks are outsiders from Porto Rico....but when Tony as Jet's member falling in love to Maria who is brother of Shark's gang leader the hating is now impossible to stop....all dancing scenes are original even the ending credits is placed in unusual way....one's best musicals ever made 10 Oscar answered for me!!.
Loosely based on ROMEO AND JULIET, this tells of the tragedy that arises when two people from opposite sides of the street fall in love.The story is brought to lively and vivid life by Robert Wise, one of the era's most reliable directors, and the transfer I watched makes it look absolutely stunning, with the huge street backdrops adding a really unique feel to the various choreographed numbers.
Put simply, this is one of the most memorable musicals of all time because it stands alone in look and feel to all the rest.The cast are fine, typically better at the singing and dancing than they are at the acting, but then that's where it counts.
It also hurts that Ms. Wood looks more like Richard "Tony" Beymer's sister than lover...Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant make beautiful music together.The more believable relationship is between Rita Moreno (as Anita) and George Chakiris (as Bernardo).
In a better place here, "Gee Officer Krupke" may even sum up the entire century.********* West Side Story (10/18/61) Robert Wise : Jerome Robbins ~ Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno.
The best scene in the movie is at the dance hall when all the people in there are blured out by color except for Maria and Tony who look and fall in love with each other.
Lovely Natalie Wood overdoes the Latino bit as Maria, and she and Richard Beymer as Tony lack chemistry, thus the central romance has no urgency and their scenes together bring the movie to a halt.
While most kids grew up with "On Top of Old Smokey" being sung in their home, I was enveloped by the lyrics of Steven Sondheim and couldn't get enough of such classics as "I Feel Pretty", "Tonight" and "Gee, Officer Krupke!"For those not yet versed in the neo-expressionist masterpiece, West Side Story is the tale of two lovers; Maria (Wood) and Tony (Beymer) who simply cannot be together.
With each gang honing in on the secret, Tony and Maria are in a race against time and proximity ending in tragedy for the forbidden lovers.West Side Story wastes no time letting the audience know it is a musical.
I was never really a fan of musicals growing,save for one or two.In recent years,I have given others a try and I have to say that the musical genre,while still not my favorite,has grown on me a little,and West Side Story certainly has helped.I enjoyed the idea of modernizing the Romeo and Juliet saga and giving it a modern day street gang theme,since gang members often refer to each other as "family" and warring families were what R and J were all about.While not the best musical I have seen,West Side Story is by no means a bad film.The music was great,but the strongest point was it's story.That alone,for my taste,makes it worth watching again..
And the best work achieved by Stephen Sondheim who composed the lyrics.This is is the birth child of the great and late composer Leonard Bernstein, and it is hard to believe that when this show was first staged, the crowds pretty much stayed away until the two writers came up with "America".Stephen Sondheim is on record as denouncing his own lyrics for West Side Story, but without doubt, I believe his lyrics are the best work he has ever achieved.West Side Story is a musical Romeo and Juliet, with Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood excelling as the star crossed lovers.If you haven't seen West Side Story, and you like musicals, you are missing a treat..
What's more, the cinematic translation of the Broadway hit co-directed by Robbins and veteran Robert Wise shows a film that not only conveys the vibrancy of the original show but adds dramatic texture in the reshuffling of its renowned songs in order to better propel the familiar storyline.The home turf Jets and the recently arrived Puerto Rican Sharks are at war in the tenements of New York's Upper West Side in the late 1950's.
Starting with the highly dramatic overhead shots of Manhattan, the prologue is justly celebrated as a stunning expression of Robbins' genius in formulating dance moves that fluently convey the gangs' swagger and menace.As the story settles on the core romance, the movie maintains its momentum and high energy through the memorable score, in particular, the three powerful ensemble pieces - "America", in which the Sharks boys and girls playfully but pointedly argue the merits of living in the U.S.; the "Quintet" with its dynamic cross-cutting showing the diverse shades of anticipation for the final rumble; and "Cool", in which the revenge-driven, post-rumble Jets plot to find Tony before the Sharks do.
Even though Arthur Laurents' original book and Ernest Lehman's screenplay have retro-hip dialogue that now sounds quaint next to today's youth-oriented movies, the story still maintains a dramatic gravitas that has certainly worked since Shakespeare's day.Although obviously not a Latina, 22-year old Natalie Wood is still picture-perfect as Maria.
Featuring a cast that could dance and perform the gymnastic choreography of Jerome Robbins, the film is a modern reworking of the Romeo & Juliet story, with ethnicity--instead of family bloodlines--serving as the source of conflict.Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) are the couple that unexpectedly meet and instantly fall in love, despite their family allegiances to the Jets and the Sharks, ethnic gangs that war daily over the concrete-covered "turf" of their neighborhood.
Perhaps better than any film before, the music and dance in "West Side Story" advance the storyline and define its characters.Using a strong color palette and sets that break the neighborhood into a patchwork of paved boxes connected by a maze of alleyways, the visuals--including the wonderful costumes--provide strong statements about cultural differences and similarities.
On film, though, it all rings a little hollow."Loving is enough", Maria tells Tony near the end."Not here," he replies.He means the mean West Side streets, but I thought for a moment about the movie camera.
Ultimately, aside from the singing and dancing, the film really drags with far too many characters and caricatures crowding the screen making the star crossed lovers Tony and Maria peripheral characters which may be a blessing because Wood and Beymer are a dull pair and Beymer is not persuasive as a former gang leader even if the Jets are the Dead End Kids with ballet training.
Director Wise would use virtually this exact same technique to open (and close) his other Oscar-winning Best Picture The Sound of Music (1965), which features the majestic Alps in place of the cement and steel 'mountains' of New York City.Two rival street gangs: Riff (Russ Tamblyn) is the leader of the ethnic "White" Jets, Bernardo (Chakiris) the leader of the "Hispanic" (actually, Puerto Rican) Sharks and brother of Maria (Natalie Wood); Moreno plays Maria's friend Anita, who is also Bernardo's girl.
Director Robert Wise brings the classic tale of 'Romeo and Juliet' to the big screen in this fantastic musical film starring Natalie Wood as Maria, Richard Breymer as Tony, Rita Moreno as Anita (Winner of Best Supporting Actress), George Chakiris as Bernardo (Winner of Best Supporting Actor) and Russ Tamblyn as Riff.
West Side Story has cemented its place as one of the classic musicals and that is down to the excellent performances and songs that this film showcase.
I was born and raised in NYC, where the film takes place, but I was never a fan of musicals, on screen or in plays - it just seemed ridiculous to me when people would burst into song at the laundromat, say, and while it's true that yer basic street gang doesn't exactly perform brilliantly choreographed dance numbers in their neighborhood playground, today or at any other time in history, in West Side Story it works, it makes sense, you're swept along into the reality of the piece effortlessly.
Filmed on location, "West Side Story" is a brilliant musical and contains powerful performances from Rita Moreno and George Chakiris (both won Oscars).
But when Riff's best friend (and former Jet) Tony (Richard Beymer) and Bernardo's younger sister Maria (Natalie Wood) meet at a dance, no one can do anything to stop their love.
The two main leads though are being played by film actors Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, who's singing also got dubbed.A first great step into the direction of 'modern' movie musicals.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
Although it is a film from older days, actually from back in the 50s, it is impressive because of the energy that transmits and the colorfulness of the scenes.Based on the all times love story Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story was brought as a modern version of Shakespeare's work of art into the streets of Manhattan, where two gangs from different ethnicity, the Jets (Americans) and the Sharks ( Puerto Ricans), fight for territory and respect on the streets.
But a chain of events will lead to a tragedy that will change the course of their lives and their pure love.The drama on West Side Story is pretty good, but the most amazing and enjoyable parts are the music and dancing.
For a musical, "West Side Story" is a good movie.