[Press <Play> above to jump straight to our West Side Story Movie Review.]
And our (first) film today is the wonderful 1961 crime-drama musical, ‘West Side Story‘. Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs the Jets and the Sharks fall in love. But interracial and social tensions between their respective friends build toward heartbreak and tragedy.
Now you may be aware that Steven Spielberg is working on a remake of this wonderful movie, which is currently slated for a 2021 release. Let’s hope we do get to see that film, later this year, or very soon thereafter.
Spielberg is still arguably one of the greatest directors working today. But what a film he is trying to live up to, here. The 1961 movie, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, is a powerful blend of genres and styles. This, quite apart from the unforgettable music and dance numbers that form the movie’s backbone. And despite essentially being a crime romance, there’s plenty of comedy and memorable character work here, including of course, a very special policeman.
It’s hard to overstate the quality of this production, which takes us from the blacktop basketball courts of New York’s city streets, into the dance halls of the schools, onto the rooftops of the tenement apartments, and back to the streets again. It’s an amazingly staged, dazzlingly-performed ensemble piece. And the music is, of course, the work of Leonard Bernstein.
The film stars Natalie Wood as Maria, in a famous role. And though she didn’t get awards recognition herself, the film won a STAGGERING 10 academy awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.
And once again, the less revealed about the plot here, the better. But keep a box of tissues by your side. I confound you to finish watching this movie with a dry eye. It’s superb, heart-wrenching film making, from old-school Hollywood’s finest.
Themes here include how love transcends ethnicity, and there’s a spotlight on the fierce power of blind prejudice. So anyone here in Malta who’s involved in stage or screen work of a musical bent, especially our younger listeners: if you haven’t yet seen West Side Story, then settle down with your loved ones and friends, for a textbook exercise in 101 musical production that, quite frankly, still remains peerless, to this day.
Movie Rating: 4.5 / 5
This West Side Story Movie Review was part of an episode of our movie podcast. Show Notes for this episode:
In this episode of More Than A Movie, we start by interviewing our guest, actress Steffi Thake. We next review ‘Popeye‘, Robert Altman’s (in)famous musical fantasy film from 1980, that was shot here in Malta. [jump to 10:28 above].
We then move onto our three main Classic Musicals to Break your Heart, for this week’s episode:
West Side Story Movie Review (1961) – [jump to 14:12 above]
Oliver! (1968) – [jump to 18:28 above]
Annie (1982) – [jump to 21:31 above]
More Than A Movie is written and presented by Andrew Bonello. It was originally recorded and aired on Campus FM Radio, at the University of Malta.
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