I think it's a commentary that either they are "too big" to bother a child, or they feel like they are protecting the neighborhood from something more important. That tiny piece always stuck out in my mind as well.
List of everything we learn in these first 9 minutes, without any exposition or dialogue: - The names of the gangs (sidewalk paintings) -The leaders and second-in-commands of the gangs (not their names, but through their prominence and the order in which they appear) -The power dynamic (Jets are clearly more powerful than Sharks) -The way they operate (Sharks are cleverer and bait the Jets into traps, Jets rely on strength and numbers) -The reasons people are part of the gangs (the joy in all their movements and coordination speaks to the team spirit they exude) -The respect the Jets hold in the community, vs the Sharks who are never shown being given anything (Jets get the basketball, people move for them on the sidewalk etc) -The way their fights escalate (initially almost playful, dances, idle threats, then the more they interact, the more it builds up until it becomes an unchoreographed street brawl) -The reason the Sharks exist (their musical motif, the sting at 2:17, is a slightly distorted version of the Jets' motif, representing how the Jets existed before there were any Puerto Rican immigrants in the neighbourhood, and then after being targeted the Sharks had to be formed for protection, hence they are a slightly different version of the Jets) -Their immaturity (slightly more vague, but I'm just thinking about how things like the fruit interaction, the paint, the "Beat it!"s are so petty and childish, it really emphasises that these are kids playing at being tough, which then comes back in "Dear Officer Krupke" and "Cool") -The way Bernardo and Riff are going to die (the same way that everything escalates gradually here, what starts off as a fistfight becomes a knifefight, then a double murder. Here, we see that both sides are too proud and stubborn to take the moral high ground and de-escalate, both will fight until they're pulled apart, and when no-one's there to do so they will fight until they die) This is what people talk about when they talk about cinematic language.
Great analysis! Question for you - do you think John's ear getting messed up is the first time things have gotten genuinely bloody between the gangs? Everything before seems so tame by comparison.
@@m3rrys0ngstr3ss That's an interesting point. Baby John getting bloodied marks the first time in the story that anyone draws blood. Symbolically, it's the real wound between the gangs. Sgt. Schrank wants to know who did it, so it's his acknowledgement that things have escalated between the two gangs and it's bound to get worse. In a football came, the catch phrase for the first score made is 'such and such team has drawn first blood.' It later becomes the impetus for the gangs to call an all-out rumble to settle who owns the streets. And Scrank is the Prince of Verona from Romeo & Juliet. After this scene, Schrank tells the Sharks to leave the playground and then appeals to the Jets to take things easy. In R & J, the Prince of Verona is cousin to Mercutio and hates the Capulet family. Notice how Schrank doesn't seem to care much for the Sharks.
S.G. since when Puertoricans are immigrants? Don't you know Puertoricans are AMERICAN CITIZENS, WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN EACH WAR FOR USA SINCE WW1. Puerto Rico is part of USA SINCE 1897. DAHHH..😛😲
I have got homework about this and I have to give a review about this and it is linked to Shakespeare. The questions I have to answer are "Brief summary: How does the adaptation reflect Shakespeare's prologue? Outline the main events."Second question, "Likeability: Why do you like this adaptation? Is it the actors? Settings? Costumes?" Third question, "Favourite part: What is your favourite part of this adaptation opening and why." Last question, "Compare and Contrast: Outline another adaptation and argue why your favourite is superior." Any help would be appreciated.
i like to dance to the prologue or play games or pretend to be a jet (cause i’m german and i like to cosplay arab cause he seems german like me) and my favourate line of the prologue is by arab “ CHICO CHICO ANDLE CHICO, ANDLE hehehe
Do people today understand what a phenomenal historical snapshot this entire film is? The entire set for this movie was about to be torn down for one of the largest urban renewal projects in American history; but the filmmakers asked to temporarily halt the demolition so they could make this monumental movie which in fact happened. Today the land where this "slum" was now holds the huge Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts!
Thank you for that. We need people to remind us of history and the ever changing landscape. I'm fearful for the future of NYC right now. Far too many empty properties, people out of work. Random incidents of crime by lowlifes...
@@jenniferwise8515 They've always been going "down hill." Ever see photos of cities during the 1800s? People lived in hovels or crammed together in airless tenement buildings; young children sleeping in doorways, etc. Or during the Great Depression? Cities have a life of their own. They ebb and flow, but they're still here.
This is the most stunning, powerful choreography in film history, with equally perfect muscial score, cinematorgraphy, and with the most beautifully fit, enormously talented actors performing, for all time.
@@jeremyfilliavertini2019 Spielberg’s version is utter crap. Lackluster acting, forgettable musical numbers, no chemistry, whatsoever. That’s why it was such a FLOP!!!
@@scottmckellar1029 I was talking about the Maria in the new version. I know Marni Nixon sang for Natalie Wood. I grew up in those days & West Side Story was my favorite musical back then.
@@alanbisch4314 But even the Mafia stayed away from the Families. Source: Family member disappearing after refusing to pay gambling debt. Car ride to 'get a drink', never came home.
Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe (née Anastasiadou) Chakiris,[1] immigrants from Greece. He attended high school in Tuscon Arizona and Long Beach.[2][3] - Wikipedia
Pure masterpiece. Ashamed to say as a 30 year old I only first watched it this year. Always can find & learn something new. Iv watched it over about 3 times since. Love it!
It was never "stylish" this movie just romanticize it. They were still raping and murdering like they are now but yeah clothing wise they were more stylish
This freakin' music. Just perfection. Bernstein's name is not being used often enough in discussion about the current adaptation, but the show is literally nothing without it.
@@adoublemaltneatplease2883 You do know that the '61 version is an adaptation of the Broadway musical that came out in '57 so the '21 version ain't a remake. You people really need to actually learn about the movie you're willing to die for under the assumption that it is an original piece of work. And considering one of Spielberg's most famous movies is an adaption of a book, adapting a musical for the second time isn't that hard to understand.
everyone involved was at the top of their game when they got involved, the producers had terrible problems with budget overruns - filming in color was really expensive then, they just didn't want to cut corners everywhere because they had so many things they were trying out for the first time - most gritty urban shaped films before WSS were black and white B movies - although noirish black and white filmed cinematography was incredible in those days - "Sweet Smell of Success" is now a classic film of a New York in the 1950's
@@francorobinson538 That´s the point. It symbolizes the conflict between the two gangs. Basically two gangs dying. It always gets "smoothed out" when Tony and Maria are singing.
+Emmy Hewitt It's all symbolic, every little dance movement and piece of the scene has its own meaning. I'd guess that was trying to show that even though the Jets are trouble-makers, ready and willing to push around whoever they want, they're still protecting their "turf" and the people that live there.
I have a lot of respect for Spielberg and his work, but I have not been able to watch his version (even though I know Rita Moreno is in it) because I've been too spoiled by this movie. And yes, this prologue is so perfect.
I love this movie and as a kid watched it 16 times .. but I have to say.. when Tony yells out Maria's name in a PR neighborhood over and over .. and only one Maria looked out her window.. I thought that was funny..
Few comments give justice here to Leonard Berstein's music... which is just fabulous: colors, dynamics... and amazing orchestration! He was a great composer
Spot On…. And If You Think About It…. We Still Living In These Times…. Listen To The Words In The Song “America”…. One Of My Favorite Musicals!!!!👏🏾🙌🏾😁🥰
Can you imagine how they trained? No ipads, laptops, ipods, or vcrs back at home to help keep the routine tight? Just going hard in the studio and committing everything to memory and then exectuting? Wow
I remember: Johannesburg, South Africa, 1961, and I was twelve years' old. My parents and I went to a cinema, and because the whole place was booked, I had to sit on my own without them. I sat there and the film started with its extraordinary opening and colour, and then the prologue opened and I was just overwhelmed. One of the greatest experiences of my young life.
This opening scene is the most cosmically beautiful beginning of a movie I have ever seen. When you have multiple geniuses working...this is what you get.
Brad Amador Nah. Double-negatives are a no go in academic writing for the sake of clarity and brevity. But in other written forms, they're an acceptable stylistic choice. There are plenty of them in all major forms of literature, going all the way back to 'The Canterbury Tales' at least. So stop being such a pedant.
Who are you to say? Many things have been said and done in the past. That does not make right, even if many people have done it, said it, committing linguistic errors in writing is even worse! I know French and Spanish besides English. When you study a language, there is a right and a wrong way to write. Abusing it does not improve the language, it only pollutes it and makes it less clear and coherent...
Brad Amador You're just wrong. First of all, there is no hard and fast grammatical rule that says you CAN'T use double negatives. There just isn't. At best, it's a stylistic suggestion for academic and/or legal writing to ensure clarity. In other written forms, it's very common for writers to play with and slightly bend grammatical rules for artistic purposes. Sometimes using a double negative simply expresses an idea more accurately. For example, "I don't disagree with..." might imply that while you're not staunchly rejecting something, you can't blindly embrace it either. And there are hundreds of other examples all throughout English literary history. I'm sorry to be rude, but you have a very childish understanding of linguistics, and very few (if any) English language experts would agree with you. And I'm not even sure why you would bring up other languages. We're talking about English grammar here. Other languages use different rules entirely and are thus irrelevant to this conversation. But, just to use your own point against you, there are languages where double negatives are not only common, but also serve a unique grammatical purpose. For instance, they are commonly used in Japanese to allow the speaker to avoid sounding rude and/or authoritative. So what's your point?
I so agree, my sister saw the movie and brought the soundtrack to the movie home. I listened to it everyday, so when my parents took me to see the movie I already known all the songs. My grandchildren even know this is my favorite movie. For my birthday they brought me a pillow with marie, tony anita and Bernard name on it. One of the greatest movie ever made.
@@scottmckellar1029 I was 10 or 11 when this came out! Never can forget it and how I felt after watching it. I left the theatre absolutely stunned and through the eyes of a youngster so very much wanted the ending to be different. Had dreams about it for weeks and in my dream Tony didn't die.I think this is the greatest movie musical of all time!
@@williecampbell1395 already had the original Broadway soundtrack with Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert as Maria and Tony. I preferred their voices. Never really liked Marnie Nixon’s voice.
At 8:27 it's not a part that matters much in the movie but the little girl on the swing is my grandmother. And at 1:09 was my great aunt! It was great to hear their stories when they met the cast including Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood. A movie I will always love
I love how this is a succession of mini encounters, and with each one, the odds change. Sometimes they favor the jets, sometimes the sharks. So the advantage shifts back and forth, and whoever has it in the moment has the ball. Great way to set up the story.
I saw this film for first time, aged 14. It blew mind. I'm now 76. Lost count of times I've watched it since and never tire of it. It never ages. This is coming from someone who is an opera & ballet lover & can't stand musicals. This is perfection. ❤
Darth Vader You make an interesting point that some sociologists have noted--That what we call 'the 40's' was basically mid-40's to mid 50's, and the "'50's" mid-50's to mid-'60's. But this just makes my sarcastic point about the comment referring to "West Side Story' as the 60's all the more relevant--the story (and film) take place in the era of the '50's--the 60's came much later.
This is true dancer's choreography. The steps are so musical and so natural they are meant for the dancer to really feel their body and the music as one.
Only now many decades later can we fully appreciate how ground breaking this was. The forerunner of so many later 'music clips' it's yet to be bettered.
You can’t catch Lightning twice!! This original 1961 classic simply can’t be matched, it’s way up there in the stratosphere of Iconic movies, and has been listed as one of the top 5 Musicals ever made!! I doubt even the multi talented Spielberg can even get close to this with his Reboot effort- madness to even try I think!!
Agreed. But I've been thinking about it and I think that in Spielberg's case he's so awed by the movie that he has to try, to somehow be closer to it, it that makes sense. I suppose it's an instinct to get to know West Side Story as intimately as its original creators did.
I was in a summer theatre production of this show and we put on one performance in a prison. No joke. The prison audience was like real life jets. Every time Maria was on stage you'd hear the cat calls, whistling etc. This was in Boston. I'll never forget it as it was the only time I was ever inside a prison and not everybody in the production was excited to do this performance. Frankly, some were a bit scared.
Best musical of all time in my estimation. love the choreography, lyrics by Sondheim, music by Bernstein, and the actors are superb !!! Enjoy . love, Merylee
The only thing I don't like is casting Natalie Wood as Maria. She was a good actress, but casting a non-singer in this role is just sad. Also, she never looked Puerto Rican to me. Downside of movies in this period; you got travesties like Marlon Brando trying to look Okinawan!
You'll never see anything like this again. Never a misstep, precision timing, amazing stylization and music that personifies the action. I was about 15 when this came out and I giggled at the end. It seemed silly. Now sixty years later I understand.
just stumbled over this video and I was about the same age and I just realized that at the time, not being american, I did not understand the message behind it. It was my first english speaking film and I did not understand anything. But the dances and the sublime music enchanted me. Just magnificient and Timeless! Actually HAIR had the same effect on me, only by then I understood the language! I still have both the original LPs bought directly after seeing the films.
I think he might,,, yeah, for someone who never saw the original when it was released. Christopher Reeve will always be the best Superman,,, even to modern people who never saw it when it came out. - Well, anyway, I believe Spielberg will do well,, and more
Please let there never be a remake of this movie...nothing will ever be able to top the choreography of Jerry Robbins combined with Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, and the rest of these amazing dancers!
Speilberg isn't remaking the movie. He's making the 1957 stage show into a movie. There are a lot of differences between the two. Besides, wasn't the original a remake of Romeo and Juliet?
I learned that the Sharks were originally written as a Jewish gang and Maria as a Jewish girl (probably with a different name), but while Arthur Laurents was writing it, the surge of Puerto Rican immigrants was taking place in NY. So he switched it to being a Puerto Rican gang.
I like it better as Puerto Rican. They put the song "America" in there which was a nice bit of social commentary. Had the sharks been Jewish (I'm assuming they would have been born in New York) the song wouldn't have worked.
Actually "In Living Color" did a variation on this with Hassidic Jews and Blacks. It was funny. Seriously tho, when Laurents first wrote this, it was supposed to be Jews and Irish but when Robbins and Berstein heard the idea, they were like, it's a musical version of Abbie's Irish Rose.
I can watch this over and over again and the choreography, the music and the whole scene still amazes me😮💨😮💨😮💨 I’m really sorry for the people who haven’t seen this incredible masterpiece
Tamblyn also says that he was more of a tumbler and that Robbins gave him other things to do like strut while the rest of the “gang” was dancing. I had to go back and watch and there are a few examples of how he really did move differently in some parts while the others twirled and stepped. He was just interviewed on The View.
Few of the comments mention that it was choreographer Jerome Robbins who actually redesigned the dance from his original Broadway choreography to suit the 70mm wide screen panavision lenses. It was a huge effort; this opening scene took weeks of rehearsals. The dancers loathed Robbins and celebrated by burning their trainers when he was finally removed from the film after completing the dance sequences and Robert Wise took over. But much as he was a fierce task master, his choreography for West Side Story was superb. Incidentally he never allowed the actors/dancer playing the Jets and the Sharks ever to mix on set or socially so that the polarisation came through.
The actual location of the filming is where the Lincoln Towers co-operative are today (and can be seen under construction during one part of this dance scene), W.67 St, between West End Ave and Amsterdam Ave. and thereabouts, which is one block north of Lincoln Center itself.
I have seen this musical countless times, the first time I watched it was when I was 9 years old. I was unable to appreciate the intricacies of the music back then, however now, I finally see how much of a masterpiece this score really was.
I always found it interesting how the movie doesn’t really portray either gang as villains, or even that bad to begin with: At the beginning, the Jetts have plenty of opportunities to be assholes, but they never do; they return the ball to the kid who threw it at them, they give the basketball back to the kids who were playing after messing around with it pretty harmlessly, and most interesting, they go out of their way to walk around the little girls’ chalk drawing, but only just. The Sharks don’t really have any moments like this, but at the very least the movie never goes “hey, these are the guys you should dislike.” And while they taunt each other A TON and skirmish a little, the two gangs mostly only look like they’re fooling around with each other and don’t really get violent until the big fight at the end. Maybe that part is only a result of the Broadway-style tone this movie takes on, but my point still stands. I always thought a big point of this story is that it’s tragedy is really no individual’s fault, but a result of the groups as a whole and they’re dynamic. This opening scene reflects that: both gangs seem relatively harmless until encountering one another. TL;DR: West Side Story has some genius writhing behind it.
Yeah I appreciate how they emphasize that the kids aren’t all that bad at heart, but it’s through the ideas that are drilled in their head that can lead them to be cruel to the Puerto Rican people, like that scene where they were harassing that lady in the bar (?). They aren’t good people, but they aren’t bad people either and I can respect the way this film represents the way racism was normalized with white families and friend groups.
Some history: Originally the Sharks were meant to be a Jewish gang, not Puerto Rican. Anyway, IMHO, the backdrop is a tragedy that causes more sympathy towards the Sharks, but the story finds creative ways for you to sympathize with the Jets too. Bernardo is a key character who is shown as dignified rather than laughing and taunting. What strikes me also is that the Puerto Rican families are portrayed as struggling but basically honest, while the Jet families have already gone from struggling to delinquency. Pretty familiar pattern actually. But so rather than make things too one sided though, some humor is brought in (Officer Krupke) and you are left concluding that neither side really has it all that great. Well done.
@@greenymeeny2154 Remember that Tony being a former jet makes all the jets look a little better. This seems a classic tale about the American "melting pot". I also recall that in the end, both gangs come together to make a sort of truce. Tragedy brings them together. Another melting pot idea. You're suppose to leave with the idea that the gang wars are over now.
Yeah, the classical music from 1930´s to 1960´s was often very intense, Bernstein is a great example. And yeah... that´s sort of how I feel about the Russia-Ukraine war (my country is not far from Ukraine). Hatred is a horrible thing.
+Kobra After going to OCSA and having friends who are male dancers. Syhame on you. Being a homophobe is a hate crime which is illegal. Watch yourself. I Say this for your own good.
Luckily I never was involved in teenage gang violence or unfairly judged a person by race. But I would really like to dance like that. Jerome Robbins was a genius. He was like as Michael Bennett is to A Chorus Line and Jerry Mitchel was to Hairspray.
I like how theres basically no dialogue but the actions speak 100 words. The gangs move to each other like a pack of wild animals. The colours used and the general cinematography is astounding. Every move a picture.
technicolor was all the rage then, studios were pushing cinemascope and other wide screen formats - they were losing out big time to television then - people were just starting to get color tv's but the colors were terrible - rca and zenith televisions ( tv's were still made in the us then ) - it wasn't until Sony introduced Trinitron that color tv's could match the colors you saw in movies even tv shows were often in black and white - the extra cost of color was significant for tv producers - shows like the Munsters could only get green lit if they agreed to film in black and white
Trying to remake this today would be just another giant mistake by Hollywood. They would turn in into a 100 million big budget movie with no soul and no story. No just leave West Story where it belong's, in 1961. When can watch the DVD or Blu-ray when we want to see the movie.
phangirlable you have nothing to worry about if Steven Spielberg is directing it. If a movie is directed by Steven Spielberg, then it’s going to be fantastic
Like the A.I. movie? He's one of my favourite directors but I don't think anyone, no matter how good, has ever succeeded to make a remake of a movie from the color film area that was at least as good as the original.
I always liked the fact that the Jets went around the little girl in the beginning instead of being jerks and walking on her chalk drawing.
when i cant find it
lilo2849 about 1:09
I think it's a commentary that either they are "too big" to bother a child, or they feel like they are protecting the neighborhood from something more important. That tiny piece always stuck out in my mind as well.
They only fuck with their own.
Rachel Rae i
This used to be a nice neighborhood before the gangs moved in and started dancing up the place.
alex thelizardking hahahah!
+alex thelizardking yeah well it's better than some modern day gang shooting up the place! Or maybe "drugging up the place" with those illicit drugs!
Yeah
Used to be such a nice place with drugs and violence
Then before we know it a bunch of artists move in
+Spastic pug Well you know this is SoDaSoPa
+Alan Moser best comment on this thread so far
List of everything we learn in these first 9 minutes, without any exposition or dialogue:
- The names of the gangs (sidewalk paintings)
-The leaders and second-in-commands of the gangs (not their names, but through their prominence and the order in which they appear)
-The power dynamic (Jets are clearly more powerful than Sharks)
-The way they operate (Sharks are cleverer and bait the Jets into traps, Jets rely on strength and numbers)
-The reasons people are part of the gangs (the joy in all their movements and coordination speaks to the team spirit they exude)
-The respect the Jets hold in the community, vs the Sharks who are never shown being given anything (Jets get the basketball, people move for them on the sidewalk etc)
-The way their fights escalate (initially almost playful, dances, idle threats, then the more they interact, the more it builds up until it becomes an unchoreographed street brawl)
-The reason the Sharks exist (their musical motif, the sting at 2:17, is a slightly distorted version of the Jets' motif, representing how the Jets existed before there were any Puerto Rican immigrants in the neighbourhood, and then after being targeted the Sharks had to be formed for protection, hence they are a slightly different version of the Jets)
-Their immaturity (slightly more vague, but I'm just thinking about how things like the fruit interaction, the paint, the "Beat it!"s are so petty and childish, it really emphasises that these are kids playing at being tough, which then comes back in "Dear Officer Krupke" and "Cool")
-The way Bernardo and Riff are going to die (the same way that everything escalates gradually here, what starts off as a fistfight becomes a knifefight, then a double murder. Here, we see that both sides are too proud and stubborn to take the moral high ground and de-escalate, both will fight until they're pulled apart, and when no-one's there to do so they will fight until they die)
This is what people talk about when they talk about cinematic language.
What a wonderful interpretation. Very clever.
Murray
Great analysis! Question for you - do you think John's ear getting messed up is the first time things have gotten genuinely bloody between the gangs? Everything before seems so tame by comparison.
@@m3rrys0ngstr3ss That's an interesting point. Baby John getting bloodied marks the first time in the story that anyone draws blood. Symbolically, it's the real wound between the gangs. Sgt. Schrank wants to know who did it, so it's his acknowledgement that things have escalated between the two gangs and it's bound to get worse. In a football came, the catch phrase for the first score made is 'such and such team has drawn first blood.' It later becomes the impetus for the gangs to call an all-out rumble to settle who owns the streets. And Scrank is the Prince of Verona from Romeo & Juliet. After this scene, Schrank tells the Sharks to leave the playground and then appeals to the Jets to take things easy. In R & J, the Prince of Verona is cousin to Mercutio and hates the Capulet family. Notice how Schrank doesn't seem to care much for the Sharks.
S.G. since when Puertoricans are immigrants? Don't you know Puertoricans are AMERICAN CITIZENS, WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN EACH WAR FOR USA SINCE WW1. Puerto Rico is part of USA SINCE 1897. DAHHH..😛😲
@@murraygreenberg8113 He's a theater major....
*ballets aggressively*
I'm more into musicals than ballet but how ballet is used to tell the story is one of a kind
Manuel Orozco I’ve seen u around RUclips haha. And I agree the dancing is mesmerizing
+Manuel Orozco: West Side Story is one of the greatest musicals of all time, in my opinion!!!!!
Jamila Brown Thank you
C A Campbell Not one of my favorites but to each their own
I love how this scene barely has any dialogue
which is what makes it one of the most iconic scenes in the movie. process you don't always need full fledged conversation at the very beginning
Not what I normally like to see open up a movie but is rather refreshing. But you know what they say, silence is golden.
especially when you are looking at .George Chakiris! :)
This scene is probably one of my favorites from any movie
it’s not supposed to
Back in the good old days with teenagers solved disagreements with incredibly well done ballet, dance, and rhythm
😂😂 if only!
And murder!
🤣
this is jazz
@@ottoask9151 same
"So, what do you like to do for fun?" "Me and my friends lean on things and snap"
This movie does kinda make you want to get together with your friends and do that
I have got homework about this and I have to give a review about this and it is linked to Shakespeare. The questions I have to answer are "Brief summary: How does the adaptation reflect Shakespeare's prologue? Outline the main events."Second question, "Likeability: Why do you like this adaptation? Is it the actors? Settings? Costumes?" Third question, "Favourite part: What is your favourite part of this adaptation opening and why." Last question, "Compare and Contrast: Outline another adaptation and argue why your favourite is superior." Any help would be appreciated.
Don't forget aggressively ballet dancing to assert your dominance.
i like to dance to the prologue or play games or pretend to be a jet (cause i’m german and i like to cosplay arab cause he seems german like me) and my favourate line of the prologue is by arab “ CHICO CHICO ANDLE CHICO, ANDLE hehehe
i think the biting the thumb thing is the part where loco trips action
I love how they're nice enough to walk around the little girl's circle.
I thought they were gonna step in it and smear it 😂😂
Meagan Lopiccolo
A bunch of teens in my school would.
Who would be that mean?
We don't have any quarrels with her!
Though I would hate to ruin your positive look on why they went around it, they most like did it cause she looked Puerto Rican
Do people today understand what a phenomenal historical snapshot this entire film is? The entire set for this movie was about to be torn down for one of the largest urban renewal projects in American history; but the filmmakers asked to temporarily halt the demolition so they could make this monumental movie which in fact happened. Today the land where this "slum" was now holds the huge Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts!
John Scanlan Thank you so much......I was only 6 years old when my Mom brought me to see this.....and it forever touched my life. ❤️
@@barbarabonnette2705 I'm so glad you enjoyed hearing that bit of New York City history!!!
Thank you for that. We need people to remind us of history and the ever changing landscape.
I'm fearful for the future of NYC right now. Far too many empty properties, people out of work. Random incidents of crime by lowlifes...
@@OneAdam12Adam sadly, NYC and other big cities are going downhill.
@@jenniferwise8515 They've always been going "down hill." Ever see photos of cities during the 1800s? People lived in hovels or crammed together in airless tenement buildings; young children sleeping in doorways, etc. Or during the Great Depression? Cities have a life of their own. They ebb and flow, but they're still here.
I wonder what it would be like if the gangs today had choreographed dance offs instead of shootings.
They would be arrested for excessive dancing... Just kidding.
+ZeroKool7140 It wouldnt be very.....cool boy......
+I love both types of Football see what u did there🙋🏼😉
That would be a much prettier sight to see on the news.
Actually, in the 80's gangs did have break dancing dance offs instead of shootings.
this is some of the best choreography you will ever see
The Bad Choreography Took Influence From This Movie
Grace Dee Jerome Robbins hand-selected each dancer.
Yes, the twirly ballet moves really makes you feel like you;re watching tough NYC gangsters
Kurt Johnson BAHAHAHAHA
I put the barn raising dance in "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" above this one. This one is still awfully good, though.
“Nooo, it’s step, step, kick, TURN, step! You’re out of the gang!”
Jaja 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
😂😂
I would love if the world was a musical...
+LukaANDkrusty given that it was a good musical. High School Musical would be a lot less of a dream..
+LukaANDkrusty YAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Oh, there would be a lot of bad dancers.
me to lol
I Agree it would make the world a better place.
Nothing says "Gang" like Ballet moves.
Such ture
hilarious Sergio!
Sergio Garcia lol
Lol!
Damn right
9 of the most brilliant minutes in cinema history.
I DO AGREE with you! I, still, keep them in my memory ( I was 12 yrs old..)and NOTHING can be compared with this MARVEL!!🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍😍😍
😂😂😂😂😂😂
there are almost no words spoken but this is still one of the best nine minutes of a movie ive ever seen.
Their dancing speaks louder and clearer than mere words could do.
I love you
07074705782
The scenery and movements speak plenty.
I see where Michael Jackson got his idea for “beat it” now
Man I wish gangs were actually ballet dancers then the world will be less more cruel
Hahahah for real
Everything should be decided with dance battles!
Rose hamidi
You do know how this story ends, right?
Juanita Castro jep
This is the most stunning, powerful choreography in film history, with equally perfect muscial score, cinematorgraphy, and with the most beautifully fit, enormously talented actors performing, for all time.
Agree
@@jeremyfilliavertini2019 Spielberg’s version is utter crap. Lackluster acting, forgettable musical numbers, no chemistry, whatsoever. That’s why it was such a FLOP!!!
@@royceskepagny6182 The young woman who played Maria had a lovely voice, but the other's were mediocre, IMO...
@@judiweislo8672 Maria's (Natalie Wood) voice was dubbed by Marni Nixon. She dubbed vocals in many films: "The King & I", "My Fair Lady", etc.
@@scottmckellar1029 I was talking about the Maria in the new version. I know Marni Nixon sang for Natalie Wood. I grew up in those days & West Side Story was my favorite musical back then.
1:09 They may be members of a teen gang but these 1950's thug guys know when to not disturb a little girl's crayon drawing
RESPECT
In those days the strong tried to protect the totally helpless. Not laugh and abuse them .
What u on about 🤣 mafia was popping people and torturing left right and centre
@@alanbisch4314 But even the Mafia stayed away from the Families.
Source: Family member disappearing after refusing to pay gambling debt. Car ride to 'get a drink', never came home.
@@joelstein4657 THe jets had bad childhoods themselves they were poor and I mean very poor
Chalk.
These are all super dancers but George Chakiris (Bernardo, leader of the Sharks) is also elegant--just mesmerizing to watch.
+
Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe (née Anastasiadou) Chakiris,[1] immigrants from Greece. He attended high school in Tuscon Arizona and Long Beach.[2][3] - Wikipedia
Correct on the first part .However George Chakiris parents were immigrants from Greece !
Light in the Piazza greek
Cannot count the times I have seen this movie. If I had pick one movie only to watch for the rest of my life it would be
WEST SIDE STORY
Greatest American Musical Ever.
Amazing Choreography.
Pure masterpiece. Ashamed to say as a 30 year old I only first watched it this year. Always can find & learn something new. Iv watched it over about 3 times since. Love it!
Les Mis #1, West side story #2
What's awesome is how you can see where Michael Jackson got his inspiration for Bad.
my99by and for the Way you Make me feel
And" beat it"?
Even before that - for Beat it!
When riff said ..."beat it" ok this is where michael jackson got his inspiration .
You mean "Beat It?"
Gang violence was a lot more stylish back then :P
wasn't it?
And a lot more FABULOUS.
It was never "stylish" this movie just romanticize it. They were still raping and murdering like they are now but yeah clothing wise they were more stylish
Well, in fact, the film does show 3 murders and comes very close to showing rape.
Yeah!! Where do you find rotten fruit and vegetables to throw, from a pile of cinder blocks and bricks???
This freakin' music. Just perfection. Bernstein's name is not being used often enough in discussion about the current adaptation, but the show is literally nothing without it.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!
A remake was not needed.
Never thought Spielberg would get that lazy.
@@adoublemaltneatplease2883 You do know that the '61 version is an adaptation of the Broadway musical that came out in '57 so the '21 version ain't a remake. You people really need to actually learn about the movie you're willing to die for under the assumption that it is an original piece of work. And considering one of Spielberg's most famous movies is an adaption of a book, adapting a musical for the second time isn't that hard to understand.
This music sounds so freaking complex. Leonard Bernstein was a true genius with this soundtrack.
everyone involved was at the top of their game when they got involved, the producers had terrible problems with budget overruns - filming in color was really expensive then, they just didn't want to cut corners everywhere because they had so many things they were trying out for the first time - most gritty urban shaped films before WSS were black and white B movies - although noirish black and white filmed cinematography was incredible in those days -
"Sweet Smell of Success" is now a classic film of a New York in the 1950's
You might find this analysis of Bernstein's score interesting. stickynotespodcast.libsyn.com/west-side-story-symphonic-dances
it sounds quite dreadful, sound like two cats dying
He was an absolute genius!
@@francorobinson538 That´s the point. It symbolizes the conflict between the two gangs. Basically two gangs dying. It always gets "smoothed out" when Tony and Maria are singing.
I love how the Jets leave the little girl's chalk drawing alone
+Emmy Hewitt It's all symbolic, every little dance movement and piece of the scene has its own meaning. I'd guess that was trying to show that even though the Jets are trouble-makers, ready and willing to push around whoever they want, they're still protecting their "turf" and the people that live there.
+B DeWit I agreed to that that as well
+Emmy Hewitt I knew that they couldn't be that cruel. I didn't know that there were two sides of Manhattan. This is the Blue Collar Section I presume?
as we said as 90's babies "anyone who messes up the chalk will be lined in it"
Oh come on the Jets Arn't that bad
Who agrees with me when I say that nobody, not even Spielberg, can make a prologue like this.
You correct.
I have a lot of respect for Spielberg and his work, but I have not been able to watch his version (even though I know Rita Moreno is in it) because I've been too spoiled by this movie. And yes, this prologue is so perfect.
@@lizmorganjake you should watch it.
I haven't seen 2021 and except for Rita Moreno don't want to
@@markwhitman9029 you should try it.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is “show don’t tell” done right.
I love this movie and as a kid watched it 16 times .. but I have to say.. when Tony yells out Maria's name in a PR neighborhood over and over .. and only one Maria looked out her window.. I thought that was funny..
Exactly haha! I'd just throw a rock
This comment is so underrated, lmao.
Here is an article about the name's rank in popularity in the USA.
www.ourbabynamer.com/Maria-name-popularity.html
😂😂
@@radrook4481 Interesting that it peaked just around the time of the movie release.
Few comments give justice here to Leonard Berstein's music... which is just fabulous: colors, dynamics... and amazing orchestration! He was a great composer
The best part of the movie, hands down.
@@TheBeteljuice Definitely, the music in this movie is simply incredible.
I hear a lot of references to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Sprint". Agree - the music is just fantastic.
Rite of Spring!
Every inch of this film, was pure; poetic passion, class, energy, grace & fine quality. Mad skills!
Yesss 🔥🔥🔥
You forgot totally absurd.
Spot On…. And If You Think About It…. We Still Living In These Times…. Listen To The Words In The Song “America”…. One Of My Favorite Musicals!!!!👏🏾🙌🏾😁🥰
@Robbie Cameron Wow...too much praise for a movie that doesn't deserve it.
Can you imagine how they trained? No ipads, laptops, ipods, or vcrs back at home to help keep the routine tight? Just going hard in the studio and committing everything to memory and then exectuting? Wow
I remember: Johannesburg, South Africa, 1961, and I was twelve years' old. My parents and I went to a cinema, and because the whole place was booked, I had to sit on my own without them. I sat there and the film started with its extraordinary opening and colour, and then the prologue opened and I was just overwhelmed. One of the greatest experiences of my young life.
Great comment. You reached me.
@@TheBeteljuice ....Thanks. Robert, uk.
@@TheBeteljuice Me too. Especially the part about South Africa in '61. Wow.
Same here!
👱🏻♂️A BABY BOOMER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
The choreography in this movie is outstanding.
This opening scene is the most cosmically beautiful beginning of a movie I have ever seen. When you have multiple geniuses working...this is what you get.
This Will never not be amazing. A timeless classic.
Rosina Zacouris - Ditto.
Double-negatives are a no-no dummy! Go back to class!
Brad Amador Nah. Double-negatives are a no go in academic writing for the sake of clarity and brevity. But in other written forms, they're an acceptable stylistic choice. There are plenty of them in all major forms of literature, going all the way back to 'The Canterbury Tales' at least. So stop being such a pedant.
Who are you to say? Many things have been said and done in the past. That does not make right, even if many people have done it, said it, committing linguistic errors in writing is even worse! I know French and Spanish besides English. When you study a language, there is a right and a wrong way to write. Abusing it does not improve the language, it only pollutes it and makes it less clear and coherent...
Brad Amador You're just wrong. First of all, there is no hard and fast grammatical rule that says you CAN'T use double negatives. There just isn't. At best, it's a stylistic suggestion for academic and/or legal writing to ensure clarity.
In other written forms, it's very common for writers to play with and slightly bend grammatical rules for artistic purposes. Sometimes using a double negative simply expresses an idea more accurately. For example, "I don't disagree with..." might imply that while you're not staunchly rejecting something, you can't blindly embrace it either. And there are hundreds of other examples all throughout English literary history. I'm sorry to be rude, but you have a very childish understanding of linguistics, and very few (if any) English language experts would agree with you.
And I'm not even sure why you would bring up other languages. We're talking about English grammar here. Other languages use different rules entirely and are thus irrelevant to this conversation. But, just to use your own point against you, there are languages where double negatives are not only common, but also serve a unique grammatical purpose. For instance, they are commonly used in Japanese to allow the speaker to avoid sounding rude and/or authoritative. So what's your point?
Now THIS is the movie to watch and rewatch.
I saw this as a kid! To this day, I think this is some of the most BRILLIANT choreography EVER!
I was 12 when it came out. Now most movies & musicals from the 60s seem dated. Not this. It's a towering achievement and a real classic.
I so agree, my sister saw the movie and brought the soundtrack to the movie home. I listened to it everyday, so when my parents took me to see the movie I already known all the songs. My grandchildren even know this is my favorite movie. For my birthday they brought me a pillow with marie, tony anita and Bernard name on it. One of the greatest movie ever made.
@@scottmckellar1029 I was 10 or 11 when this came out! Never can forget it and how I felt after watching it. I left the theatre absolutely stunned and through the eyes of a youngster so very much wanted the ending to be different. Had dreams about it for weeks and in my dream Tony didn't die.I think this is the greatest movie musical of all time!
I was 9 and taking dance lessons in 1961!
@@williecampbell1395 already had the original Broadway soundtrack with Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert as Maria and Tony. I preferred their voices. Never really liked Marnie Nixon’s voice.
The music is still incredible after all these years.
According to Harvard, the music wasn't incredible year 1998 and again 2009. Also scientists believe it won't be incredible year 2089 (or 2090)
Absolutely
Not only the art of this movie, but also the message is so powerful.
Such fantastic choreography.
Jerome Robbins was the greatest!
One of the greatest opening sequences to a musical ever!
At 8:27 it's not a part that matters much in the movie but the little girl on the swing is my grandmother. And at 1:09 was my great aunt! It was great to hear their stories when they met the cast including Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood. A movie I will always love
That is cool!
I love how this is a succession of mini encounters, and with each one, the odds change. Sometimes they favor the jets, sometimes the sharks. So the advantage shifts back and forth, and whoever has it in the moment has the ball. Great way to set up the story.
OMG, the sheer talent in this film is staggering.
I saw this film for first time, aged 14. It blew mind. I'm now 76. Lost count of times I've watched it since and never tire of it. It never ages. This is coming from someone who is an opera & ballet lover & can't stand musicals. This is perfection. ❤
J'ai 70 ans , même chose que vous. Ce film musical c'est toute mon adolescence.
Romeo and Juliet in a gay musical, What a concept
The dancing you see in this video is really ballet. The spinning, the lifting of the arms, everything.
I wish people could dance through the streets without getting weird looks. This would be my dream, honestly.
Not worth dancing in the streets without getting weird looks.
Actually it's fun to see how people react when you dance.
bella amy Do it in New York. No one will care.
***** Try it in England; The Queen will have you sent to the Tower Of London
SteamSlaught Gaming
to see the crown jewels, I presume?
People in the 60s had the awesomeness, clothes and music that I will miss forever.
Except that this story takes place--and therefore the costumes and music reflect that-- in the '50's
@@eldiran2 1961 was basically still the 50s. The 50s basically died in 1964
Darth Vader You make an interesting point that some sociologists have noted--That what we call 'the 40's' was basically mid-40's to mid 50's, and the "'50's" mid-50's to mid-'60's. But this just makes my sarcastic point about the comment referring to "West Side Story' as the 60's all the more relevant--the story (and film) take place in the era of the '50's--the 60's came much later.
@@DarthVader-il2cy yep. Decades bleed into each other
@@eldiran2 as a sociology student i'm interested in this commentary! do you know the term for it or what professor wrote about it?
I was forced to see this movie as a teenager in the 80s in summer school - and was surprisingly blown away - have loved this movie ever since...
Real tough gangs dance ballet while they fight
+Coral Roper Guess you never saw DWTS, SUTUCD, FAME,etc....circa 2000's vs WSS in 1961. Dancing is dancing
Not ballet, neoclassical, modern, jazz and ballet. It's got ballet in, but it's not the same thing
Tasfia Rezwana I was just being snarky
+Coral Roper I know what you are tring to say.... XD
Yeah and I'll be dancing randomly when I'm not ready lol
This was in the terrible days before the government banned gang dancing.
They're doing a remake: Trump and Kim Jong Un have the leads.
I need to look at the history: Was Al Wood elected (6:55)? And if he was, did he ban gang dancing?
Dunno but you made me smile
now they have to resort to gun fighting, such a shame
And that’s when Kevin Bacon came in and liberated us from the dancing ban. All hail Kevin Bacon.
This is true dancer's choreography. The steps are so musical and so natural they are meant for the dancer to really feel their body and the music as one.
Only now many decades later can we fully appreciate how ground breaking this was. The forerunner of so many later 'music clips' it's yet to be bettered.
Honestly I can't think of anything more terrifying than a gang of ballet dancing, snapping aggressively staring teenagers chasing me
You've led a very sheltered life.
@@robertstauffer2865 it's a joke, robert.
@@l0verofallthings lol. No kidding??? Look up "facetious" in the dictionary, and then read my comment again. lol.
My ribs hurt from laughing and reading the comments. This is the best!
@@robertstauffer2865 it's a joke
When I was little I assumed all gangs were just moderately aggressive dance groups.
Hilarious. I thought they all lived in NY.
I was a teenager and thought so!
This movie is pure genuis...music, dance, story, acting. classic!
Seriously how could you dislike this???? Freaking classic!
@Rayne Rosario How could you seriously like this silly number? It's cringe-worthy.
@@hellbenthornball1153 You should just shut up. You obviously are showing your ignorance every time you comment.
The choreography in this movie is insane. One of my favorite movie openings. Every minute of it.
This is one EPIC way to kick off a movie with a little dancing! Happy 55th anniversary to West Side Story
camera shots and photography can 't be better than this. a truly masterpiece
You can’t catch Lightning twice!! This original 1961 classic simply can’t be matched, it’s way up there in the stratosphere of Iconic movies, and has been listed as one of the top 5 Musicals ever made!!
I doubt even the multi talented Spielberg can even get close to this with his Reboot effort- madness to even try I think!!
Agreed. But I've been thinking about it and I think that in Spielberg's case he's so awed by the movie that he has to try, to somehow be closer to it, it that makes sense. I suppose it's an instinct to get to know West Side Story as intimately as its original creators did.
True.
One of the most brilliant, genius combinations of cinematography, dance and music scores in movie history. Always mesmerizing, never gets old.
West Side Story... Leonard Bernstein thank you soooooo much for this wonderful peace of music and dance... History... !
You should also thank Jerome Robbins for his amazing choreography--and for his idea of staging a modern take on *Romeo and Juliet* .
The concept was Jerome Robbins’s!
Storytelling without words - it doesn't get any better.
The synchronised dancing is squad goals af
THIS is West Side Story!! 💗
This movie is a solid stone cold classic 10/10
I was in a summer theatre production of this show and we put on one performance in a prison. No joke. The prison audience was like real life jets. Every time Maria was on stage you'd hear the cat calls, whistling etc. This was in Boston. I'll never forget it as it was the only time I was ever inside a prison and not everybody in the production was excited to do this performance. Frankly, some were a bit scared.
my mother had me watch this, when i was a little girl... Bernardo was my favorite; i thought he was beautiful.
And he is.
One has to experience this film on the big screen. It is not the same on your television.
Best musical of all time in my estimation. love the choreography, lyrics by Sondheim, music by Bernstein, and the actors are superb !!! Enjoy . love, Merylee
The only thing I don't like is casting Natalie Wood as Maria. She was a good actress, but casting a non-singer in this role is just sad. Also, she never looked Puerto Rican to me. Downside of movies in this period; you got travesties like Marlon Brando trying to look Okinawan!
You'll never see anything like this again. Never a misstep, precision timing, amazing stylization and music that personifies the action. I was about 15 when this came out and I giggled at the end. It seemed silly. Now sixty years later I understand.
i giggled through the whole thing! how many cans of bronzer did the actors go through to get their PR hue?
HOW could you giggle at the end?!!! I was in tears
just stumbled over this video and I was about the same age and I just realized that at the time, not being american, I did not understand the message behind it. It was my first english speaking film and I did not understand anything. But the dances and the sublime music enchanted me. Just magnificient and Timeless!
Actually HAIR had the same effect on me, only by then I understood the language!
I still have both the original LPs bought directly after seeing the films.
came here after the trailer... there’s no way spielberg can do better than the original, but i’m excited to see his take!
It will be a real challenge for Spielberg. But then with the availability of CGI, we shall see. Can hardly wait.
@@MrRodBelt He shouldn’t need cgi for this; just heart and talent
I think he might,,, yeah, for someone who never saw the original when it was released.
Christopher Reeve will always be the best Superman,,, even to modern people who never saw it when it came out.
- Well, anyway, I believe Spielberg will do well,, and more
@@2015Drama that speilbergh lost long time ago
Please let there never be a remake of this movie...nothing will ever be able to top the choreography of Jerry Robbins combined with Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, and the rest of these amazing dancers!
When Steven S. get's his remake finished and It's compared to the original, it won't! Even milenials will enjoy the classic that is West Side Story..
Jim Heagy and I’m glad Rita Moreno is involved
So. It is happening. December 18, 2020
Ariella Kahan-Harth it will be a sad day indeed. Next they’ll probably want to redo the Wizard of Oz
Speilberg isn't remaking the movie. He's making the 1957 stage show into a movie. There are a lot of differences between the two. Besides, wasn't the original a remake of Romeo and Juliet?
Geroge Chakiris. What a handsome man. And still great looking after all these years
I saw this movie over 60 times in the cinemas because of George Chakiris. He is still so classy, gentle, good looking and charming in his 80s.
one of the greatest movies in this century
😂Last century. The 20 th century.
As it is it's almost 70 years old. 😮
so everytime i watch this movie i just love it so much that i get emotional....please tell me i'm not alone in this world
You're far from alone. 😊
You're not alone!!!
Welcome to the club of empaths.
You're definitely not alone!
@@carolyncrider8217 It's a great club to be in!
I learned that the Sharks were originally written as a Jewish gang and Maria as a Jewish girl (probably with a different name), but while Arthur Laurents was writing it, the surge of Puerto Rican immigrants was taking place in NY. So he switched it to being a Puerto Rican gang.
I like it better as Puerto Rican. They put the song "America" in there which was a nice bit of social commentary. Had the sharks been Jewish (I'm assuming they would have been born in New York) the song wouldn't have worked.
haxx1233
I agree -- the show is a masterpiece and any revisions made were made for the better.
That's crazy, it's hard to imagine, I wonder how it would've worked out?
Actually "In Living Color" did a variation on this with Hassidic Jews and Blacks. It was funny. Seriously tho, when Laurents first wrote this, it was supposed to be Jews and Irish but when Robbins and Berstein heard the idea, they were like, it's a musical version of Abbie's Irish Rose.
Being Hispanic myself, I'm sort of glad Maria's gang was changed to PR's.
I can watch this over and over again and the choreography, the music and the whole scene still amazes me😮💨😮💨😮💨
I’m really sorry for the people who haven’t seen this incredible masterpiece
When movies were good without all the Hollywood special effects. WSS is a classic and one of my favorites.
Ivette nolastname
So true
@Ryan Akwar there are bad producers.but hollywood hasnt really lost hope.probably in the next century.
The choreography is quite beautiful. I've never tired of this film.
Russ Tamblyn said it was insufferabley hot when shooting these scenes.
Tamblyn also says that he was more of a tumbler and that Robbins gave him other things to do like strut while the rest of the “gang” was dancing. I had to go back and watch and there are a few examples of how he really did move differently in some parts while the others twirled and stepped. He was just interviewed on The View.
Few of the comments mention that it was choreographer Jerome Robbins who actually redesigned the dance from his original Broadway choreography to suit the 70mm wide screen panavision lenses. It was a huge effort; this opening scene took weeks of rehearsals. The dancers loathed Robbins and celebrated by burning their trainers when he was finally removed from the film after completing the dance sequences and Robert Wise took over. But much as he was a fierce task master, his choreography for West Side Story was superb. Incidentally he never allowed the actors/dancer playing the Jets and the Sharks ever to mix on set or socially so that the polarisation came through.
They don't know who Jerome Robbins was. So your info is valuable.
This was filmed on the upper West Side before it was demolished to builld Lincoln Center.
I read that before somewhere; thanks for sharing - My favorite movie of all time!!
Looks pretty demolished here
@SgtBaker16 people did live there
Zed..that is true..
The actual location of the filming is where the Lincoln Towers co-operative are today (and can be seen under construction during one part of this dance scene), W.67 St, between West End Ave and Amsterdam Ave. and thereabouts, which is one block north of Lincoln Center itself.
cinematic genius.
I have seen this musical countless times, the first time I watched it was when I was 9 years old. I was unable to appreciate the intricacies of the music back then, however now, I finally see how much of a masterpiece this score really was.
“We’re the Jets. We don’t just walk, we don’t just strut. We DANCE.”
I always found it interesting how the movie doesn’t really portray either gang as villains, or even that bad to begin with:
At the beginning, the Jetts have plenty of opportunities to be assholes, but they never do; they return the ball to the kid who threw it at them, they give the basketball back to the kids who were playing after messing around with it pretty harmlessly, and most interesting, they go out of their way to walk around the little girls’ chalk drawing, but only just. The Sharks don’t really have any moments like this, but at the very least the movie never goes “hey, these are the guys you should dislike.” And while they taunt each other A TON and skirmish a little, the two gangs mostly only look like they’re fooling around with each other and don’t really get violent until the big fight at the end. Maybe that part is only a result of the Broadway-style tone this movie takes on, but my point still stands. I always thought a big point of this story is that it’s tragedy is really no individual’s fault, but a result of the groups as a whole and they’re dynamic. This opening scene reflects that: both gangs seem relatively harmless until encountering one another.
TL;DR: West Side Story has some genius writhing behind it.
I'm pretty sure that's the tone of Shakespeare's source material and not just the intention of the screenwriters.
Yeah I appreciate how they emphasize that the kids aren’t all that bad at heart, but it’s through the ideas that are drilled in their head that can lead them to be cruel to the Puerto Rican people, like that scene where they were harassing that lady in the bar (?). They aren’t good people, but they aren’t bad people either and I can respect the way this film represents the way racism was normalized with white families and friend groups.
Some history: Originally the Sharks were meant to be a Jewish gang, not Puerto Rican. Anyway, IMHO, the backdrop is a tragedy that causes more sympathy towards the Sharks, but the story finds creative ways for you to sympathize with the Jets too. Bernardo is a key character who is shown as dignified rather than laughing and taunting. What strikes me also is that the Puerto Rican families are portrayed as struggling but basically honest, while the Jet families have already gone from struggling to delinquency.
Pretty familiar pattern actually. But so rather than make things too one sided though, some humor is brought in (Officer Krupke) and you are left concluding that neither side really has it all that great. Well done.
@@greenymeeny2154 Remember that Tony being a former jet makes all the jets look a little better. This seems a classic tale about the American "melting pot". I also recall that in the end, both gangs come together to make a sort of truce. Tragedy brings them together. Another melting pot idea. You're suppose to leave with the idea that the gang wars are over now.
They just dancing, it ain’t that deep
This music is so intense, I'm almost shaking. I'm literally so sad that these boys hate each other.
@Jeremy Ellis Control yourself.
Yeah, the classical music from 1930´s to 1960´s was often very intense, Bernstein is a great example. And yeah... that´s sort of how I feel about the Russia-Ukraine war (my country is not far from Ukraine). Hatred is a horrible thing.
Kids today can learn from this, and I'm not talking about the racial tolerance message, I'm talking about dance-fighting all your problems away!
AlexSaysHi2013 5:55 :D
Dance is fucking gay im only watching this cause I have to for drama
+Kobra WTF if a boy wants to be a dancer then let him it's not your fucking decision to decide that
+Kobra After going to OCSA and having friends who are male dancers. Syhame on you. Being a homophobe is a hate crime which is illegal. Watch yourself. I Say this for your own good.
Luckily I never was involved in teenage gang violence or unfairly judged a person by race. But I would really like to dance like that. Jerome Robbins was a genius. He was like as Michael Bennett is to A Chorus Line and Jerry Mitchel was to Hairspray.
What a masterpiece
It’s the location and the time of the location that gets me. It’s real and I can feel it as well as see it.
Imagine if it were possible for a single cop to break up an entire gang fight just by blowing a whistle!
He could stop it using contemporary dance.
haha
It only works for kids on the playground
Poetry ! I love it when the Jets are walking down the road and the guys make their own little movements. And Russ Tamblyn ...man ! Grace among ruins.
Believe it or not but he is my favorite.
Brilliant! Why would anybody in their right mind want to remake this?
I'm with you on that.
you can't perfection is perfection
This movie redefined what the 1960s should forever look like and I always will love the early 60s clothes.
I like how theres basically no dialogue but the actions speak 100 words. The gangs move to each other like a pack of wild animals. The colours used and the general cinematography is astounding. Every move a picture.
technicolor was all the rage then, studios were pushing cinemascope and other wide screen formats - they were losing out big time to television then - people were just starting to get color tv's but the colors were terrible - rca and zenith televisions ( tv's were still made in the us then ) - it wasn't until Sony introduced Trinitron that color tv's could match the colors you saw in movies
even tv shows were often in black and white - the extra cost of color was significant for tv producers - shows like the Munsters could only get green lit if they agreed to film in black and white
The choreography is oustanding!
Trying to remake this today would be just another giant mistake by Hollywood. They would turn in into a 100 million big budget movie with no soul and no story. No just leave West Story where it belong's, in 1961. When can watch the DVD or Blu-ray when we want to see the movie.
Oh blissful lack of knowledge three years back. Spielberg is going to remake it. Noooooooo!
phangirlable you have nothing to worry about if Steven Spielberg is directing it. If a movie is directed by Steven Spielberg, then it’s going to be fantastic
Like the A.I. movie? He's one of my favourite directors but I don't think anyone, no matter how good, has ever succeeded to make a remake of a movie from the color film area that was at least as good as the original.
phangirlable cough cough little shop of horrors cough cough
Well, I said from the color film area. ;D Meaning equalling or besting a remake of a colour film area movies. I can't think of one.
There will never be a musical like west side story❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Bernardo is so stylish, with his red shirt and converse shoes 👌
I remember visiting NY when the movie came out and the kids would be out on the sidewalks reenacting the dance moves it was wonderful to see this.