West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, was a hit when it first came out in 1961 and continues to be a hit today.  It won ten Oscar awards, and with an all star cast, including stars such as Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, it is considered to be a classic.  I find the film to be great, especially for the time period it was produced.

The theme of West Side Story is universal and timeless. Based on William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,  it follows two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, as they fight for territory in New York City.  Things soon become complicated after Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) fall in love, both belonging to opposite gangs, and ultimately, everything takes a turn for the worst.  It stays true to The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet except for a few changes made to better fit the time period.

The cast of West Side Story does a great job in portraying the characters.  Natalie Wood, also known for her roles in movies such as Splendor in the Grass and Rebels Without a Cause, stars as Maria, the sister of Shark leader Bernardo.  Her talent on the big screen is peerless; she makes you feel what Maria is going through.  Richard Beymer stars as Tony, member of the Jets and long time friend of Jets’ leader Riff, who falls in love with Maria.  You can feel immediate chemistry between Wood and Beymer from the second they lay eyes on each other at the dance through the rest of the movie.  George Chakiris (Bernardo)  and Russ Tamblyn (Riff) portray both gang leaders and show the tension and hatred between the two gangs perfectly.  The cast, all together, really delivers.

Apart from the cast, the music is also what makes West Side Story a great film and separates it from the rest.  In the beginning, when the Jets come out and sing the “Jet Song” they show the true brotherhood of the gang and put you into the movie right away.  They continue to capture the audience’s interest with songs such as “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke.”  However, it is songs like “Tonight” and “Somewhere” that truly captivate the heart and move the audience emotionally.

Overall, West Side Story is a classic movie and deserves to be recognized as one.  That’s why I believe it is not right to have schools cancelling their stage productions of this wonderful story.  According to Banned Plays by Dawn B. Sova, in 1999, Amherst Regional High School cancelled its school play West Side Story because many felt Puerto Ricans were portrayed offensively and it glorified gang violence.  I find this to be untrue.  Arthur Laurent, who wrote the original stage version of the play, was quoted in the book Banned Plays saying, “It sounds like a few educators have to go back to school.  Is it possible that anyone could have missed the point that badly?”

Here at HHS, we’ll have the opportunity to see the stage play of this great story with the play comes to our own stage in the spring.