Movie Description Considered one of the most popular musicals of all time, WEST SIDE STORY earned director Robert Wise an Oscar for Best Director as well as nine other Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Realistically portrayed characters and their surroundings and expert editing complementing innovative dance sequences mark this highly stylized modern-day Romeo and Juliet tale. The stage is set in New York's Upper West Side in the 1950s, where the area's slums are plagued by racial tensions acted on by two rival gangs: the Puerto Rican Sharks and the Caucasian Jets. In the middle of this mess is young, innocent Maria (Natalie Wood), a Puerto Rican seamstress whose brother, Bernardo (George Chakiris), is the leader of the Sharks. Despite the warnings of Anita (Rita Moreno), Bernardo's fiery girlfriend, Maria falls in love with a young, hopeful Polish boy, Tony (Richard Beymer), who used to belong to the Jets, now headed by Riff (Russ Tamblyn). When Tony, on Maria's urging, tries to stop a rumble between the gangs, tragedy ensues, marking their dedicated love affair with violence and desperation. The infectious, lyrical landmark score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim help round out one of the greatest musical experiences ever captured on film.
| Credits | | Writer: | Ernest Lehman | | Producer: | Robert Wise | | Cast: | Eliot Feld, George Chakiris, Rosita Moreno |
Notes WEST SIDE STORY was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1997.
Editorial Reviews "..Incredibly cool..." Entertainment Weekly - Scott Brown (04/04/2003)
"...You'd be a fool not to buy it and once more savour the muscular song-and-dance numbers..." Total Film - Total Film Staff (07/01/2003)
"[E]very Bernstein song's a humdinger with sizzling Sondheim lyrical gags. Cosily cool." Uncut - Chris Roberts (12/01/2003)
Awards 1961Academy AwardsBest Adapted or Musical Song/ScoreIrwin Kostal, 1961Academy AwardsBest Adapted or Musical Song/ScoreJohnny Green, 1961Academy AwardsBest Adapted or Musical Song/ScoreSaul Chaplin, 1961Academy AwardsBest Adapted or Musical Song/ScoreSid Ramin, 1961Academy AwardsBest Art Direction - Set Decoration (Color), 1961Academy AwardsBest Costume Design (Color), 1961Academy AwardsBest DirectorJerome Robbins, 1961Academy AwardsBest DirectorRobert Wise, 1961Academy AwardsBest Film Editing, 1961Academy AwardsBest Picture, 1961Academy AwardsBest Sound, 1961Academy AwardsBest Supporting ActorGeorge Chakiris, 1961Academy AwardsBest Supporting ActressRita Moreno, 1961Academy AwardsHonorary Awards
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