Review of West Side Story (1961) by Temitope O — 13 Dec 2009

Filmed partly on New York locations, the flick, yet another adaptation of Shakepeare's Romeo and Juliet, concerns rival teen-age gangs fighting (In Romeo and Juliet: between the Montagues and Capulets; in West side story: the Sharks and the Jets) for territory. The members of the Sharks are first-generation Americans from Puerto Rico taunted by the Jets, a white group who consider themselves the true Americans.

Albeit the old-style Hollywood musical thrived in the 50's, but by the end of the decade, it has been replaced by Broadway spectaculars. And one of them is this hit musical--West Side Story--the winner of ten Academy Awards, which is a mixture of mainly Italian and Irish--and a clandestine love story. The film is a strange mixture of stylish and streetwise realism. The musical's narrative story is a provocative and artful blend of music, dance and plot. It also made points in its description of troubled youth and the devastating effects of poverty and racism.

Although Leonard Bernstein's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics make this musical memorable, and a commendable film for the audience, where it does fall down dramatically is in the miscasting of two juvenile leads--the bland Tony (Beymer) looks uncomfortable and never convincing as being passionately in love with Maria (Wood).