Classic Movie Monday: West Side Story

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

West Side Story
Released: October 18, 1961
Directed by: Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Starring: Natalie Wood & Richard Beymer

Plot in a Nutshell:
The classic tale of Romeo and Juliet is retold in Broadway musical form with a New York slum setting.

What I thought:
I have decided that musicals based on Shakespeare aren't my thing. I tried to enjoy this flick, but I can't. Maybe it's my modern sensibilities of what makes a good musical, or it could simply be that I don't think hoodlums dancing and singing make for a good story. In either case I wasn't very thrilled with West Side Story.

I think the problem is that this is a carbon copy of the Broadway musical that preceded it. With few exceptions, the film feels like it was filmed as the play was performed on stage. The sets resemble a stage in nearly every scene. Very little was done to make it seem bigger or grander.

As you are aware, this is Romeo and Juliet with different clothes. The story doesn't deviate very much at all, The big exception here is the musical numbers and the setting. Like I said before, this seems like the musical was merely filmed and put on a movie screen. But that aside, I still don't find the numbers compelling, nor the acting credible. Frankly, It feels antiquated and tired.

Everything is done larger than life, slightly on the opposite side of normality. The characters are cutout stereotypes that jump and twirl around, propelling a tired, copied story. I didn't find it enjoyable at all. Sorry, I know it's a classic and has even won Oscars, but I just can't like it.

On the bright side of this, there are a couple of tunes that I found enjoyable. And if I am to take anything from this flick it would have to be that. But it also is a big problem for me. I simply can't buy the idea of a bunch of street thugs singing and dancing. They lose all credibility as anything dangerous or menacing the moment they start snapping their fingers in unison. The moment they start jumping and twirling in unison was the moment I lost interest. I have no problem with a good musical number, but to see these supposed "bad boys" zipping around as though they were floating on the clouds, it became something to laugh at

Oh, And Maria doesn't even die with her Tony as Juliet did to her Romeo. It becomes another reason why I don't like this adaptation of a classic story. Lame.

Bottom Line:
A story cut out of Shakespeare, starring cut-out characters, in front of Broadway cut out sets, at least some of the tunes were catchy. Meh.

C-

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