WEST SIDE STORY
US, 1961, 155 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn, Simon Oakland.
Directed by Robert Wise.
West Side Story won many Oscars in 1961, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor and Actress for George Chakiris and Rita Moreno. It will never seem so fresh again and some of its styles have dated, but it will still remain one of the best examples of an original musical.
The film takes up a social theme, an up-dated Harlem-class Romeo and Juliet with tender love, betrayal and tragedy. Instead of the dusty streets of Verona, we have the gangs of New York with their rumbles. But what makes West Side Story different from the average musical, besides Its many memorable Leonard Bernstein melodies, 1s the dancing. West Side Story is a dancing musical.
Just as Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love in the space of a sonnet at a ball, so the hero and heroine here meet, step outside time, dance and fall deeply in love. The America song and dance on the roof-tops is even more successful at creating a mood with racial feeling than 'Beat out dat rhythm on a drum’ in Carmen Jones. The 'Tonight' song serves as a dramatic focus and culmination of the build-up of main events in the film.
Director Robert Wise has had a mixed career directing films like The Set-Up? (1949) to The Sound of Music (1965).
Choreographer Jerome Robbins has had considerable stage success. West Side Story shows the dramatic possibilities of the musical.
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1. Was this a successful dramatic: musical? Did the music, songs and dancing combine successfully with the social problem realism?
2. Dance was just as much a feature of this musical as song? What did the various dances add to the meaning and symbolism of the film
- the basketball.
- the initial clash and chase between Sharks and Jets.
- the meeting of hero and heroine at the dance.
- Bernardo's and Anita's relationship shown through dance.
- the Puerto Rican America.
- the happiness of Maria and ‘I feel pretty'.
- the ‘cooling-off dance in the garage.
3. How was the film a parallel of the Romeo and Juliet story? Was it a successful contemporary Romeo and Juliet?
4. Did the film tackle a real social problem?
5. Did the social problems of the film convince because of the vivid New York setting and environment?
6. How did the group songs highlight the social problems?
7. Why did both Sharks and Jets play at gangs? What motivated them, kept them together? How savage and cruel were their attitudes? How much hatred was involved?
8. Why had Tony left the Jets?
9. Why did Tony and Maria fait in love? Were they happy?
10. How was the song 'Tonight' used, to heighten the drama and involve all the characters (and overlook the realistic point that only 24 hours had elapsed in the film?)
11. What was the significance of the 'wedding scene' in the shop?
12. Why did Tony kill Bernardo?
13. Why did Anita help Maria? Why did she become bitter after her experience in the milk bar? What were the consequences?
14. What was the conflict for Maria in her love for Bernardo and the consummation of the ‘marriage'?
15. What was the meaning of the final tragedy? What effect would it have on those involved?
16. What was the message of the film? About love, hate pride, justice, life and order, urban boredom and ugliness, fulfilment and death?
