“Boy, am I a victim of disappointment in you.”
What’s it all about? In 1957 Manhattan, tension is rising between the Jets, a gang of American teenagers led by Riff (Russ Tamblyn), and the Sharks, a rival gang of Puerto Rican immigrants led by Bernardo Nunez (George Chakiris). All hell breaks loose when Tony Wycek (Richard Beymer), a former Jet, kisses the sister of Bernardo, Maria (Natalie Wood). WEST SIDE STORY also stars Rita Moreno as Anita.
WEST SIDE STORY is quite possibly my favourite musical on film — not musical full-stop, however, as LES MISERABLES definitely trumps this Manhattan melodrama. When I heard the film was coming to Toronto in its original 70mm format, I was excited (to put it mildly). And then TIFF Bell Lightbox played the following trailer before a screening of CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS that I attended.
This is one of the best trailers I’ve ever seen. I watched it at least once a day for the last two weeks, forcing it onto my friends in pubs and on subway rides.
After the screening of CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, I returned home to reflect on Herzog’s inclusion of the albino alligator epilogue. After twenty minutes of bewilderment, I practically ran to my television in order to watch my DVD of WEST SIDE STORY. But my tiny television is nothing in comparison to seeing the original 70mm print in Cinema 1 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The print itself was gorgeous with only a handful of muddy shots — some of which can be blamed on the film itself and not the projection. The Lightbox even had a ten-minute break after the war council, similar to the film’s original theatrical run. If this experience is any indication of their future 70mm screenings of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and SPARTACUS, then I’m there. No question.
WEST SIDE STORY contains three of my favourite things: street gangs, musical numbers and colour coordination. (I did my diplomatic best and wore both Jets blue and Sharks red to the screening.) Yes, I understand that it is somewhat ridiculous that Tony and Maria would fall so deeply in love after a two-minute dance, but why are you questioning the film’s realism when you also have singing and dancing hoodlums. All that snickering during “Tonight” was not justified, everyone in Cinema 1. Richard Beymer as Tony is much more effeminate on the big screen than on my little television, completely cementing my conviction that Russ Tamblyn is the actual heartthrob of this film. It’s right around “Gee, Officer Krupke” where this is all but confirmed. Maybe “heartthrob” isn’t the right word, but I think the audience of Cinema 1 agreed with me that Riff is the tops. There was an audible gasp when Bernardo stabs the Jets leader. (Uh, spoiler warning if you haven’t read ROMEO AND JULIET?)
Though Tamblyn does do his own vocals in this particular song, it is alarming how many of the actors within WEST SIDE STORY are dubbed over with replacement vocals. Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood are replaced by Jimmy Bryant and Marni Nixon, respectively. A few songs with Russ Tamblyn and Rita Moreno are dubbed over — thankfully not “Gee, Officer Krupke” or “America”. Even Ice’s “Cool” is dubbed over with another vocalist. It’s somewhat disappointing to know that WEST SIDE STORY isn’t fully populated with triple-threat actors, but the film itself is glorious and I don’t believe this knowledge will damage the WEST SIDE STORY experience for me in the long-run. It really is a testament to how winsome WEST SIDE STORY is that I went into the Lightbox screening sick and miserable and left dancing.
Oh, and just an aside: Anybodys, the girl Jet, is really the worst person ever — and I usually adore cross-dressing actresses.
Notes: Directed by Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise; Produced by Robert Wise; Written by Ernest Lehman, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim; Starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, David Winters; Music by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim; Cinematography by Daniel L. Fapp; Editing by Thomas Stanford.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
that trailer is really great!
aren’t you nervous/excited for the new les miz movie??
I’m terrified. All the news coming out of that movie is terrible.