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Buoyed by Robert Wise's dazzling direction, Leonard Bernstein's score, and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, West Side Story remains perhaps the most iconic of all the Shakespeare adaptations to visit the big screen. Read critic reviews
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Rent West Side Story on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV.
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West Side Story videos
West Side Story: Official Clip - I Feel Pretty
West Side Story: Official Clip - Challenge to a Rumble
West Side Story: Official Clip - Killed By Hate
West Side Story: Official Clip - The Jets Own the Streets
West Side Story: Official Clip - Love At First Sight
West Side Story: Official Clip - Maria
West Side Story: Official Clip - Cool
West Side Story: Official Clip - America
West Side Story: Official Clip - Somewhere
West Side Story: Official Clip - Tonight
West Side Story Photos
Movie Info
A musical in which a modern day Romeo and Juliet are involved in New York street gangs. On the harsh streets of the upper west side, two gangs battle for control of the turf. The situation becomes complicated when a gang members falls in love with a rival's sister.
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Genre: Musical
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Original Language: English
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Director: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
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Producer: Robert Wise
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Writer: Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Ernest Lehman
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: United Artists
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Production Co: United Artists, Mirisch Films, Beta Productions
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Sound Mix: Stereo, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
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Aspect Ratio: 70mm
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for West Side Story
Critic Reviews for West Side Story
Audience Reviews for West Side Story
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The story is <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> set to music. The film's highlights are the music and songs that give resonance to Shakespeare's classic tale and the wonderfully arresting performance by Natalie Wood. What I don't like about the film is the choreography. Set against the rough and tumble backdrop of New York City slums, these dancers are performing balletic and graceful moves the majesty of which belie the film's themes and social and economic realities. In and of themselves, the dances are fun and enticing, but there is a true disconnect between them and the story. Here is a thought that is as yet only a germ in my brain: I find it odd that the white characters' complaints about their environment are social and economic -- big world issues -- whereas the Latinas embrace the social and economic realities of American life. They feel honored to be here despite the racial realities with which they are faced. It is as though the film, in a strain of racism, won't permit its minority characters any reasonable revolt. As I said, I think I need to develop this thought more, but I'm still convinced there's something fishy about this film vis a vis race relations. Overall, it's fun and good, but it's certainly not perfect.
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It's a little weird. It's a classic, for sure, but the ballet-dancing, overacting, near-gangbangers are just a bit absurd. Vivid and frenetic choreography and music (with a few oversyncopated atonal hot messes like "Something's Coming" and "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love"), but the Puerto Rican accents sometimes slip, and the "brownface" make-up is disturbingly noticeable, especially in Rita Moreno's case. She, George Chakiris, and even Jose De Vega as Chino are fantastic, but I'm disappointed that the leads, Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood, had to be dubbed by what seemed like professional but deliberately handicapped singers.
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In 1962, the film version of the popular musical "West Side Story" won not one, not two, but ten academy awards. The American Film Institute placed it second on it's list of the greatest film Musicals of all Time, right after "Singin' In the Rain" (and above The Wizard of Oz). Obviously a film of this caliber doesn't need me or my praise, but I will share my opinion regardless. The premise of the film (and I assume of the stage version) is simple: what if Romeo and Juliet took place in modern (1961) New York, and instead of rival families separating the two lovers, it was rival gangs? The Jets vs. the Sharks, Americans vs. Puerto Ricans, white vs. hispanic, the barriers separating the two factions are distinct and seemingly uncrossable. So Maria (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) find themselves falling in love at first sight when they meet at a dance, oblivious to the world around them. I'm sure the film version has technical advantages over the stage version, and the "first meeting" scene is a perfect example of this. It's a great piece of direction and artistry, undeniable artistry. Whatever your feelings about singing, prancing gang members, it would be impossible to ignore the artistry of the film on display. Add to this musical numbers that have entered into the cultural lexicon, and you have a near flawless film.
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The singing and dancing make this story far from believable. It also probably is more suitable for stage than film. And yet it works. The audience gets sucked in to believe the unbelievable mainly due to Wood and Beymer.
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