Not new to Ciao at all now. Still enjoy reading and writing ops.
Not new to Ciao at all now. Still enjoy reading and writing ops.
Member since:05.12.2000
Reviews:107
Members who trust:94
Well here she is again musicals, musicals, musicals. .....I can't stop I love them all so much.
West Side Story - what can I say that hasn't been said before. A modern day love story based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but with a somewhat different ending. Maria does not commit suicide as Juliet does, but instead feels her life has ended because of everything that has happened to her. The true ending of Romeo and Juliet was deemed to be too depressing for filmgoing audiences, hence the change.
Again, originally a stage show later made into a movie, West Side Story is directed by Robert Wise, who went on to further fame when he directed Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim are responsible for the amazing musical score, indeed Sondheim was a protege of the famous Oscar Hammerstein, who actually talked him into this joint endeavour when initially he was reluctant to be involved in working jointly with Bernstein.
America Tonight I feel pretty There's a Place for Us (later made a hit by P.J.Proby) ....and so on.....
and amazing dancing which we see right from the outset in the Prologue scene with the Jet's song and throughout the film with amazing choreography by Jerome Robbin - who could ever forget the dances when America is sung on the rooftop, or the playful interacting during Officer Krupke.
Strong starring roles are taken by George Chakiris who plays Barnardo, the leader of the Peurto Rican gang - the Sharks. His moody sardonic attitude and dark good looks give him truly the air of a brooding gang leader. Chakiris himself has a chequered and interesting past history....did you know, for example, that he had a part in White Christmas and also he was one of the dancers carrying Marilyn Monroe when she sings Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Look out for him the next time you see this. George originally took the part of Riff, the leader of the Jets in the West End Production, but was selected for Barnardo by Robert Wise later for the film version and later received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor alongside Rita Moreno who won Best Supporting Actress for her role as his girlfriend, Anita. Rita also took the part of Tuptim in the King and I, when she plays a sweet and innocent slave girl - totally the opposite to her part in West Side Story as the rather sleazy and worldly wise gang moll.
Unfortunately, in my opinion Richard Beymer lets the film down. His acting as Tony is wooden and he looks uncomfortable in the romance scenes. Strangely enough I never heard of him starring in any future productions and if anyone can throw any light on what happened to him, I would be very interested to hear it. Natalie Wood is of course beautiful as Maria, but not particularly innocent looking (probably due to her various affairs in Hollywood at the time). Her singing is of course dubbed by the undervalued Marnie Nixon as ever and although Rita Moreno sings some of her score, she is aided by an unknown (to me anyway) singer by the name of Barbara Wise.
Another main player is of course the legendary Russ Tamblyn, star of such films as Seven Wives for Seven Brothers and Tom Thumb, amongst others. His dancing is totally amazing as indeed is the rest of the cast's.
Originally the film was to be called East Side Story and the story based around the love affair of a Jewish boy and Italian girl, but this was later deemed to have lost impact and changed to a more racial background.
Briefly, the story surrounds the love affair of Tony and Maria, both with rival backgrounds - Tony is the co-founder of the Jet gang, Maria is the sister of Barnardo the leader of the Sharks. Maria has been brought to New York from Peurto Rico during the l950s to marry Chino one of the Sharks, but meets and falls in love with Tony at a dance when a rumble (gang fight) is to be arranged between the two rivalling factors. Tony kills Barnardo in a rage when his best friend Riff is killed accidentally during a clash between the two gangs and the story continues with Maria and Tony's love affair despite this disaster. I don't think I've given too much away to those of you who may not have seen the film as the story of Romeo and Juliet is so well known. The film's strength however is not based on the story so much as the singing and dancing aspects of it which have to be seen to be believed.
Some of the scenes were filmed in Manhattan New York to give the film authenticity, although other sets are somewhat staged and look dated in our now age of realism. The violence is under rather than overstated, so the film is suitable for youngsters as well as adults.
A true classic - winning no less than ten oscars, West Side Story has opened time and time again as a stage show - don't miss the film if you truly enjoy great music and dancing at its best.
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Music / Performing Arts, Comedy - Director: Trevor Nunn, Geoffrey Posner - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, Parental Guidance - Starring: Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Julie Walters, Victoria Wood, Jim Broadbent
i hated this film in school and i hated it outside school if it was gangsters really fighting not prancing around that would have been good
melaniepither 26.07.2003 23:30
Great op I have this on video and must have watched it a thousand times! I love musicals too but this one is definately my all time favourite.
drusilla 05.04.2001 17:25
I haven't seen the film, but I love the stage version - brilliant story, songs and dances. Excellent opinion, well written and full of useful information.
Advantages: The DVD looks and sounds terrific...every element falls into place beautifully... Disadvantages: those who hate Romeo & Juliet probably wont bother to give it a chance...
eve6kicksass 23.09.2003 (23.09.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of West Side Story (DVD)
Advantages: The DVD looks and sounds terrific...every element falls into place beautifully... Disadvantages: those who hate Romeo & Juliet probably wont bother to give it a chance...
eve6kicksass 23.09.2003 (23.09.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of West Side Story (DVD)
Advantages: An excellent adaptation of Shakespeare's timeless classic: Romeo and Julliet Disadvantages: you know what's going to happen, but that's the fun isn't it?!
Mar 23rd, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
