Romancefest 2: West Side Story

WEST SIDE STORY is one of those flicks I felt like I'd seen before I really sat down and watched it, mostly because of how well known it is. I've seen highlights, I know some of the songs, and the story is just about as classic as can be -- a transplant of ROMEO AND JULIET to New York. Instead of Capulets and Montagues, we have Sharks and Jets. Or, more specifically, Puerto Ricans and. . . well, European immigrants.

Which brings up one of the more interesting unspoken aspects of this musical -- sure, it's unabashedly about race issues, but the other issue is immigration: the Puerto Ricans are the more recent immigrants, a lot of them probably first generation at the time the film takes place. But the European immigrants -- Irish and Italian Americans -- aren't as far removed from the whole immigration thing as they act, maybe a couple generations removed from their ancestors who came over in boats, just as foreign at the time as the Puerto Ricans were in the 50s and 60s.

Anyway, the film stars the incredibly hot Natalie Wood as Maria, a Puerto Rican immigrant who falls in love with Tony (Richard Beymer) an Italian-American who helped found the Jets gang before growing up and moving on to a full-time job helping kindly old Doc (Ned Glass) run his store. Maria's brother, Bernardo (George Chakiris) is the leader of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang serving as the current nemesis in the never-ending turf wars between the Jets and everyone else. His girlfriend, Anita (Rita Moreno), works with Maria in a bridal shop.

The current leader of the Jets, Tony's protege and best pal, Riff (Russ Tamblyn) decides it's time to get rid of the Sharks all together when the local cops Schrank (Simon Oakland) and Krupke (William Bramley) crack down on the gangs. He figures the best way to do this is to set up a royal rumble, and needs Tony's backing to do it. So, Tony reluctantly agrees to help.

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

But guess what? The plot's the least important part. Or maybe the dialogue is. Anyway, most of the straight drama is the least important part. All the best parts of the movie are the song and dance sequences, energetically choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Admittedly, when the movie starts, you have to get beyond the basic idea of tough guy gang members suddenly pulling dramatic ballet moves. If you can suspend your disbelief enough to allow for that kind of behavior among street toughs, you can enjoy this movie.

From the "making of" stuff I'm reading, it looks like director Robert Wise (SOUND OF MUSIC, the first STAR TREK flick) pulled for two things: location shooting, and a dramatic progression that differed a little from the musical. Both decisions are great. It looks like most of the movie was shot on set, but key sequences are clearly shot on location in New York, and they open the movie up to be much more epic, realistic and timeless than it would be otherwise. Apparently the play was a little more balanced between light-hearted and tragic, interspersing the tragedy with comedic interludes. Wise reordered the movie to load all the light-hearted moments in the first half, so once the tragedy starts, it doesn't stop -- you just drop off the cliff and the momentum doesn't let up until the fade out. I think this is one decision that helps the movie seem shorter than the two and a half hour running time.

Aside from shooting the whole flick in stunning color and impressive widescreen, Wise also manages to sneak in some cool visuals that help to simulate what it must be like to see this show on stage -- he uses camera tricks and lighting to recreate moments where spotlights come in handy, most notably when the two star-crossed lovers meet at a dance -- everyone else at the dance, once depicted as crisp and vivid, suddenly blur into the background and before we know it, only Wood and Peymer are in focus, staring at each other across the dance floor.

Supporting actors Rita Moreno and George Chakiris won Academy awards in their roles as the Puerto Rican lovers, and they're clearly more spirited and suited to the material than the leads, Wood and Richard Beymer. Of course, they also have more colorful, showy parts, so that helps. Moreno has the most dramatically affecting scene as her character is harrassed and symbolically raped by the Jets -- the turning point for the character helps seal the tragic fate of the main characters, yes, but the way she plays it makes the movie about character and not about plot.

Still, the main couple has their moments, as thankless as their roles may be. The fault of the roles is also kind of the strength -- the earnestness and innocence of the characters is refreshing, even if it's boring for Wood and Beymer to play. And, they have a nice scene in the bridal shop where they make up a mock wedding with a couple dummies and pieces of formal wear, optimistically imagining what their parents and friends would say upon seeing their mismatched union.

My favorite dance sequence was probably the "Cool" sequence in which the usually sensitive Jet, Baby John (Eliot Feld), talks the other Jets down from irate anger and revenge by insisting that they play it cool. This leads to a stunning, physical dance sequence in which the choreographer and dancers manage to outwardly depict the idea of what it feels like to keep something inside, starting with the line:

"You want to make it through this lousy life? Then you gotta play it cool."

The movie has it all: romance, great songs, great dancing, some good performances, and lots of color. The DVD I checked out had a nearly flawless film transfer that made the film look like it had been shot yesterday. Because it takes place in a certain place, at a certain time, within a certain Hollywood framework, you have to take a little of it with a grain of salt. But, that's not tough. The movie's pretty catchy.

Still, you have to wonder about the romance. In this one, like in ROMEO AND JULIET, the lovers hardly know each other. It's love at first sight, and then almost immediate tragedy. I guess the tragedy is what makes it romantic. If the lovers were able to grow old and bitter together, it might not be a good story. If a great and exciting potential is suddenly lost, the depth and beauty of the romance is only limited by imagination.