Oct 031961
 
3,5 reels

In New York city, two rival street gangs, The Jets, led by Riff (Russ Tamblyn) and The Sharks, led by Bernardo (George Chakiris) battle for territory.  When Jet alum Tony (Richard Beymer) meets Maria (Natalie Wood), the sister of The Shark leader, at a youth dance, they fall instantly in love.  Doomed as soon as it begins, the lovers have little chance once Tony attempts to stop a fight between the two gangs and ends up killing Bernardo.

A revelation for Broadway and cinema, West Side Story is a balletic tragedy that has little in common with the happy, light film-musicals that came before it.  Updating Romeo and Juliet and commenting on the racial issues of the day, it was a huge hit in 1961, was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and won ten of them.  For such a publicly acclaimed film (though some critics were more dubious), its popularity has fallen sharply over the years.  But it is a remarkable picture, and if its failings are noticeable, so are its successes.

The Best Director Oscar was split, for the first and only time, between two individuals, Broadway choreographer Jerome Robbins and Hollywood workhorse Robert Wise.  Robbins brought his innovative sense of dance to bear on the project, but he had little interest in schedules and budgets, reshooting scenes over and over on 70mm film until he was satisfied.  Eventually the studio stepped in and producer Wise finish things off.  Robbins may have been ignorant of the business of filmmaking, but it is his artistry, and that of composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Steven Sondheim, that make West Side Story memorable.

Bernstein’s jazz-timed, Latin-influenced score is a thing of genius.  It is both “hummable” (a requirement for show tunes) and avant-garde.  Robbins stages dance numbers that match it in tone, particularly with the semi-ballet Prolog/Jet Song and Cool.  The film never falters as long as someone is dancing or singing, taking on operatic proportions.  What could come off as hokey becomes sincere and important during the stylized numbers.

But when the music stops, the ride becomes hard to buy into.  The street gangs have been sanitized for our protection.  These aren’t street toughs and it is laughable that they are supposed to represent angry youth.  The Jets are closer to the comedic Bowery Boys of the ’40s.  Chosen for their dancing skills, the supporting gang members aren’t up to the task of giving life to the awkward dialog.  Too often, they are on the line between funny and silly, and keep slipping one way and then the other.  The Sharks come off a little better, primarily because most of them don’t speak.

The leads are a mixed bag as well.  Wood was cast because she was adorable (and a momentarily hot property), not because she could either sing or dance.  Her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon (who also sang for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady), who has a pretty voice in a generic Broadway sense.  I’d have preferred Maria to sing with more character, but at least Nixon can hit the notes.  The lack of footwork skill is dealt with by having Maria only dance momentarily and simplistically.  Considering the leaps of the supporting cast, her lack of movement is noticeable.  Also noticeable is that she isn’t Puerto Rican, and her attempt at an accent doesn’t help.

It is harder to find any reason for Beymer to be in the picture.  He can’t dance.  His acting is limited.  And his singing is dubbed as well.  Plus, he looks like a typical movie-style ’50s college student, not the one-time organizer of a gang.  He belongs in a ’50s sitcom saying “swell,” not in an edgy production.  Only Chakiris and Rita Moreno (as Bernardo’s girl, Anita) display all the talents needed for their parts.  Both can sing, dance, and act with the dark intensity needed for a tragedy.  And both were rewarded with Oscars.
Still, more than just the musical segments work.  For two hours, only the songs carry emotional impact.  With the drama so flat and un-involving for so long, the climax is stunningly effective.  It rivals the finish of the best productions of Romeo and Juliet and should leave few viewers with dry eyes.  Wood, who never pulls off a happy Puerto Rican girl, suddenly is completely believable as an anguished and broken woman.

While West Side Story’s depiction of rebellious youth is embarrassing and out of touch, there’s far too much good in the film to ignore it.  Grab another soda and pop some corn when the characters chatter, and focus on the music, dance, and tragedy, and you won’t be disappointed.