Cinematic Flashback: West Side Story (1961) Review
Tonight, tonight, the planet is full of light. Via sunlight and also moons unanimously over the location. Tonight, tonight the planet is rabid and also superb. Going disrupt, nailing sparks into room” A tale of 2 celeb-crossed buffs, a social departments rivalry, and also the display display screens of a Broadway musicals help lug with each other the latest motion image recall mull of 1961’s West Side Story.
WEST SIDE STORY
“A vibrant Romeo & Juliet tale”
Director: Robert Intelligent and also Jerome Robbins
Author: Ernest Lehman
Starring: Natalie Timber, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, and also Rita Moreno
Sprinted Time: 152 minutes
Flee Day: October 18th, 1961
Ranked: PG
THE STORY
The feuding families become 2 warring Brand-vibrant York Urbane detect gangs–the white Jets led by Riff (Russ Tamblyn) and also the Latino Sharks, led by Bernardo (George Chakiris). Their disgust escalates to a juncture wherein neither can coexist with any type of form of expertise. But as soon as Riff’s superb mate (and also former Jet), Tony (Richard Beymer), and also Bernardo’s vivid sis, Maria (Natalie Timber) accomplish at a dance, zero one can undertake anything to vanquish their love. Maria and also Tony inauguration conference in trick, planning to sprinted away. Then the Sharks and also Jets method a rumble under the freeway–whoever success gains coordinate of the roadways. Maria sends out Tony to vanquish it, wishing it can end the physical violence. It goes horribly promiscuous, and also before the buffs become aware what’s took location, hassle smacks and also doesn’t vanquish till the climactic and also tragic completing.
MY THOUGHTS
While I am follower of filmmaking and also movies, I’ve also been a follower of musical. Not a totally hardcore follower, but enough to value the craft and also the lyrical intrigue of stage musicals. Of training course, I’ve witnessing my mart share of the real movie theater Broadway verifies, requiring Les Pain in the neck, Joseph and also the Technicolor Dream Coat, Kitties, and also Phantom of the Opera. So, indeed…. I undertake become aware the classics. West Side Story, but, was one of the musicals that I never ever possessed the opportunity to browse through. I accredited that tag of it and also awfully cruel overview of what the story was about, but basically never ever totally perceived it. I constantly longed to sight the 1961 movie, but retained on nagging it off. Traditionally, I saw the movie trailer for the 2021 remake, which was being performed by director Stephen Spielberg, and also it gander of reignited my excitement in witnessing the initial movie. I did browse through the 2021 movie adaptation prior to witnessing the 1961 version, so while my thoughts can be gently boiled out, my opinions of the superb nostalgic 1961 movie of West Side Story still lingers unchanged.
I undertake have to admit that the wrap up amount sensation of West Side Story is basically pretty sweet. It’s zero puzzlement why human beings still celebrate the movie to this day for it’s vibrant steal on the iconic Romeo & Juliet tale. Traditionally, the movie owns been immersed into multifaceted pop culture stature that it’s challenging to draw in compounded terms given that of the wrap up amount familiarity with the story being told. Still, much like the multiple corrections to Shakespeare’s story, West Side Story lingers basically unchanged; prophesying a sweet rivalry and also 2 celeb-crossed buffs recorded in the middle. Thereby, I reckon that what directors Robert Intelligent and also Jerome Robbins did with ordering the 1957 Broadway stage musical and also translating it into a serviceability movie discussion is magical and also superb to behold.
Traditionally, the movie’s oversized advertising juncture is unanimously the multifaceted vocal singing and also dance that are incorporated into the Romeo & Juliet story, with West Side Story being one of the much more discussed known Broadway musicals of the period. This is plainly connoted throughout the serviceability, with the movie showcasing such superior trails such as “America”, “Tonight” and also “I Genuinely feel Instead”, which superb in their own civil liberties and also the serviceability display display screens those sequences with majestic splendor. This also plays a part in the movie’s choreography, which also is tiptop to watch, with unanimously the multifaceted versatilities and also dance figures messing around upward the perky music. In a comparable method, the manufacturing version and also multifaceted method gaps are majestic and also seamlessly-sported throughout the board. Fourthly, I undertake have to claim that I watch this movie in 4K and also undertake have to admit that renovation / preservation of this superb movie visual elegances superb!
The movie does have its mart share imperfections and also objections, requiring the painted administer-upward of plenty of of the Latino individualities to have unchanged color of brown face / rind, requiring those of Puerto Rico reputable (i.e. Rita Moreno) as seamlessly as the a tiny cringeworthy imitation accents throughout. Fourthly, the movie truly feels long with a selection of scenes and also sequences running a tiny fragment longer than they telephone call for to be; designing an excessiveness in the musical that truly necessitated to be trimmed down at the awfully least a sweet ten or fifteen minutes. Also for a 1961 movie, having a runtime of 152 minutes is infinitely long. Plus, the movie’s more gritter and also / or battle scenes (aka “the rumble”) shows up more like a dance choreography of tumbling versatilities instead than an real quarrel. Of training course, its readable with the movie being a musical, but it just shows up a tiny fragment rickety and also underwhelming, despite being the fulcra focal “oversized scene” of the serviceability. Finally, even though in this was more commonplace throughout the time of filmmaking, but it was pretty readable of what percents were dabbled by the celeb / starlet and also as soon as they vocals are intermittently dubbed by vocal singing voice stand-ins.
The actors in the movie is largely sweet, with plenty of symbolizing these individualities. That being said, the fulcra individualities in the story (Tony and also Maria) are hands down the the awfully least intriguing of the story, despite being the fulcra focal juncture of West Side Story. Jointly, they are alright in their details acting talents, but wear’t specifically administer their individualities “come alive”; administering Tony and also Maria a tiny fragment wooden and also a tiny suspension slate…mere just 2 human beings that loss in love. In a comparable method, I just fingered that both Beymer and also Timber peeked a tiny fragment senior than what Tony and also Maria telephone call for to be. Everyone else peeked alright and also period pertinent, but they just fingered out of room correct from the avail-go.
A habitation like Romeo & Juliet, the 2 celeb-crossed buffs are neighbored by more superior individualities (i.e. Tybalt, Mercutio, Balthasar, Benvolio, etc.) and also are far more intriguing / vibrant than the central protagonist ones. Unmodified can be said in West Side Story, with most of the stabilizing actors drumming upward cheerful practicalities, which excel whenever on-supervise. Of training course, none is more dazzling and also superior than Moreno, that plays the obligation of Anita, Bernardo’s partner. She’s fiery, perky, owns plenty of nerve, and also traps the obligation attractively. It’s zero puzzlement why her capability is naturally the most superb of the 1961 movie. The others, requiring George Chakiris as Bernardo and also Russ Tamblyn as Riff, also rotate alright practicalities in the movie, with both actors messing around upward the hot-headed and also arrogant / conceited demeanors of the 2 leaders of adversary gangs.
To wrap this upward….it still goes without adage the 1961’s West Side Story, despite its imperfections and also unanimously, lingers a real musical nostalgic that is qualified to to be seen by a wide smorgasbord of audiences of multifaceted generations. It’s zero puzzlement why the serviceability owns been hailed as one of the strongest music movies of perpetuity by plenty of, won a variety of awards, and also deemed a culturally / traditionally notable by the repertoire of Congress as seamlessly as being picked for preservation in the National Motion pic Registry in 1997. In conclusion, the wrap up amount beauty and also fascination of streamlining a vibrant-esque oomph Romeo & Juliet story recurs to discover a remunerative fussy times off within plenty of, with West Side Story being a superb example of unlike societies, celeb-crossed buffs, superior trails, and also a tale that is pretty basically…..eternal.
Cinematic Flashback Rating: 4.1 Out of 5
Fun Fact: Actor Richard Beymer later admitted in an conference that he wasn’t sanguine with how his capability came out, adage that he longed to tinker Tony as a rougher and also tougher, more like real highway youngster that given to sprinted about with a gang instigating combats for enjoyable, but Robert Intelligent made him tinker Tony as the superb guy about, which Beymer fingered didn’t mesh with the individuality’s earlier story. He also said he possessed vex adage some of his spiels upward with a correct face, namely the more cute spiels upward. He even allegedly stepped on the London premiere of the movie…..even though it came to be his most iconic obligation of his job.
