West Side Story (’61)
It’s been roughly three decades since I’ve seen this Oscar-winning adaptation of the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein, and a week since I’ve seen Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of the work. Now that I’ve seen both in succession, I think there are a lot more things that I like about Spielberg’s film than I do the film by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, but the greatness of the earlier film endures because Wise and Robbins saw their version as bringing the Broadway experience to the big screen, even if it’s painfully dated in a lot of areas.
There’s an inevitable urge to judge earlier films not in terms of the times they were made, but by modern standards and practices. That’s not inherently a bad thing, especially if we’re looking at how harmful sterotypes were perpetuated, and representation was non-existent. But it’s important not to let that overshadow whatever cinematic qualities a film has. Have the filmmakers still created an experience we can enjoy? Are we able to accept the choices- however harmful- as still working in terms of the film? I think in some cases- like the casting of Natalie Wood as Maria, for instance- it works; her being essentially in brownface, less so. I applaud the film, written by Ernest Lehman, for how ugly the dialogue can be in how prejudice the Jets and the Sharks are towards one another, but when most of the cast, even the Puerto Rican Sharks, is white, its intentions to highlight the harm of bigotry are severely undercut. Almost in spite of that, however, “West Side Story” is a transfixing experience.
“West Side Story” is a product of the Hollywood Golden Age of musical cinema. What that means is that the staging of the musical numbers are not about realism, but about giving Broadway a new life on screen. The advantage Broadway will always have is the live, in-the-moment experience, but the ability to edit and shoot from different angles gives the movies a chance to immerse us in the experience in a different way that can be just as exciting. Take the moment in this film when Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Wood) lock eyes at the dance. Wise uses photographic effects to make it feel as though the rest of the world around them fades away, and it’s just them. It’s a beautiful scene that can be done to an extent on the stage, but feels like a sole product of the abilities of a filmmaker who understands how to create an emotional impact visually. The same goes for the scene where Tony and Maria profess their “marriage” to one another in the bridal shop Maria works at; I think the way Spielberg stages this scene is better and more befitting the solemnity of the moment, but I’d be lying if I said this moment didn’t work for me here.
Bernstein and Sondheim had issues with the way the musical was adapted here, both in presentation (the orchestra was tripled for the film recording), and the way songs were shuffled around. I certainly understand those issues (especially since I think choices in the 2021 version are superior), but for the emotional pull of this film, I think the choices work. There are moments like “Tonight” and “Somewhere” that are beautiful to watch for how they capture the romantic pull between Tony and Maria. “Cool” is a bit too big for me, and kind of undoes the idea of the song, but it’s a great scene. I think Tony singing “Maria” here shows the type of big proclamation of love that song should represent. And “America” is as great a showcase for Rita Moreno as any musical number has been for a performer on screen; she won an Oscar for the role of Anita, and seeing her in the big moments, you see an actress understanding what this role requires, and giving it more than is asked. It’s no wonder she is one of a handful of performers with an EGOT.
It’s kind of distracting to know that Wood and Beymer didn’t really sing their parts. I know that was a bit of the norm at the time, but it makes it difficult to gauge their performances. They do a great job of selling the singing, and they make us feel the bond between Tony and Maria, right up to the end. The ending is as emotional here as it ever has been, and Maria’s pain is palpable. That reprise of “Somewhere” is Wood’s voice, and her performance pierces our heart. Regardless of the issues in film production in 1961 that make “West Side Story” a relic of a long time ago, it’s story remains timeless, and its music unforgettable.
