West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris and it was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp, A.S.C., in Super Panavision 70.
The film was released on October 18, 1961, through United Artists. It received praise from critics and the public, and became the second highest grossing film of the year in the United States. The film won ten Academy Awards in its eleven nominated categories, including Best Picture, as well as a special award for Robbins. West Side Story holds the distinction of having won more Academy Awards than any other musical film.
Plot[]
In the summer of 1957 in the West Side's Lincoln Square neighborhood in Manhattan, there is tension between a white American gang, the Jets, led by Riff, and a Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, led by Bernardo. After a brawl erupts, Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke arrive and break it up. The Lieutenant tells the gangs that if this happens again, they'll be arrested. The Jets know that while their turf is not very big, it's all they have, and they also fought for it from the Emerarlds and the Hawks, two other gangs. They decide to challenge the Sharks to a rumble at an upcoming dance for neighborhood control.
Riff decides that his best friend Tony, the co-founder of the Jets who left the gang, should fight. While some of them are hesitant, especially since he left suddenly a while back, Riff tells them despite Tony leaving the gang, he always comes through for them. Riff invites Tony to the dance and the gang, but Tony is uninterested. He tells Riff that he senses something important will happen, which Riff suggests could have a correlation with being a Jet. While Riff is not able to convince Tony to be a Jet again, he convinces Tony to come to the dance. After Riff leaves, Tony believes that what he is looking for could come tonight. (Something's Coming)
Bernardo's younger sister, Maria, tells her best friend and Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, to make her dress for the dance shorter but Anita does not allow it, as Bernardo requested. A frustrated Maria questions why she even came here, as every day she is making dresses at the bridal shop and doesn't even get to go out at night. Anita reminds Maria, she is here to marry Chino (one of the Sharks) however Maria does not have strong feelings for Chino the same way her brother and Anita do. After trying on the new dress, she thanks Anita for making it and shows it to her brother and Chino who have arrived, she then says how excited she is about the dance. At the dance, the gangs and women refuse to intermingle during a get together dance. Tony arrives and while gangs are having a mambo dance off he and Maria see each other and fall in love. There is a moment where the dance moves slow for them and they both share a kiss. However, Bernardo angrily demands that Tony stay away from her. Before things get out of hand the dance ref reminds them they're here to have fun not fight. Bernardo has Chino take Maria home, before he can confront Tony, Riff pulls him aside. Riff proposes a meeting with Bernardo at Doc's candy store at midnight which he accepts. Tony leaves the dance singing about his newfound love.
After they arrive home, Bernardo has a long talk with Maria and he sends her to bed. Anita argues that Bernardo is overprotective of Maria and they compare the advantages of Puerto Rico and the United States. Up on the roof, he and the other Sharks talk about how they thought things would be better for them than in Puerto Rico as there are so many things they have in the US., from cars to air conditioners to colored tv. Anita even points out even if they didn't have all of those things here, they would have nothing to go home to. Soon there is a big discussion between everyone, with the women and the men expressing their living in the United States. The men are experiencing hardships, while the women have better opportunities here.
Tony discreetly visits Maria on her fire escape, where they reaffirm their love. He assures her, he is not really a jet anymore, but Maria points out he is not a Shark, but they agree that they are one and how that night, their lives were changed forever. They agree to meet at the Bridal shop tomorrow after closing time. Meanwhile, while the Jets are waiting outside Doc's, Krupke, who suspects the Jets are planning something, visits them and warns them not to cause trouble. They soon start to mock him even talking about the troubles they have had. When the Sharks arrive, both groups agree to have the showdown the following evening under the highway, with a one-on-one fist fight. When Schrank arrives, the gangs feign friendship. Schrank orders the Sharks out and unsuccessfully tries to discover information about the fight.
The next day at the bridal shop, Maria feels in love and beautiful which the other ladies start to support, but Maria doesn't reveal that she is in love with Tony. Anita accidentally tells Maria about the rumble, Maria cannot believe that the gangs would fight, Anita tells them they are fighting because they have too much feeling. Tony arrives to see Maria, which shocks Anita, she promises not to tell but tells Maria to come home very soon. They profess their love and Anita warns them about the consequences if Bernardo learns of their relationship. After Anita leaves, Maria has Tony promise to prevent the rumble, Tony agrees to do so. They then agree that afterwards they will meet each others families and ask for their blessings. Tony and Maria fantasize about their wedding ceremony and what it would be like.
At sunset, the gangs prepare to fight and while they did promise a fair fight they get tools in case something happens. Meanwhile, Anita is preparing for an intimate night with Bernardo after the fight, while Tony and Maria are preparing to see each other. The Jets and Sharks approach the area under the highway. Tony arrives to stop the fight, but Bernardo antagonizes him. Unwilling to watch Tony be humiliated, Riff initiates a knife fight. Tony tries to intervene, which leads to Bernardo killing Riff. Tony kills Bernardo with Riff's knife and a melee ensues. Police sirens blare and everyone flees, leaving behind the dead bodies. A sad and angered Tony shouts out "Maria!" soon enough Anybodys arrives on time to save Tony from the police and plant the knives on Riff and Bernardo.
Maria waits for Tony on the rooftop of her apartment building when Chino arrives and tells her what happened. At first Maria does not believe and even prays that it is not true. Tony arrives and explains what transpired and asks for her forgiveness before he turns himself in to the police. Maria confirms her love for him and asks Tony to stay with her.
The Jets have reassembled outside a garage, with their new leader, Ice, having them focus on reacting to the police. They all agree that while they feel bad that Riff is dead, they also admit that they never intended to have Bernardo killed. Anybodys arrives and warns them that Chino is now after Tony with a gun. Ice sends the Jets to warn Tony. He even tells Anybody to search in the shadows for him, and accepts her into the gang.
Anita enters the apartment while Tony and Maria are in the bedroom. Tony and Maria arrange to meet at Doc's, where they will pick up getaway money to elope. Anita spots Tony leaving through the window and chides Maria for the relationship, but Maria points out you cannot help falling in love with someone, and how Anita fell for Bernardo. She convinces her to help them elope, especially after Anita see's Maria's point.
Schrank arrives and questions Maria about the rumble especially since she was with her brother at the dance. To cover for Tony, Maria has Anita tell him that Maria is detained from meeting him. When Anita reaches Doc's, the Jets harass her, until Doc intervenes. Anita declares that Bernardo was right about them and that Chino killed Maria. Doc banishes the Jets and gives Tony his getaway money in the basement and delivers Anita's message. Tony runs into the streets, shouting for Chino to kill him as well.
In the playground next to Doc's, Tony spots Maria and they run toward each other, only for Chino to shoot Tony. The Jets and Sharks arrive to find Maria holding Tony, who dies in her arms. Maria stops the gangs from fighting, takes the gun from Chino and threatens to shoot everyone, blaming their hate for the deaths. They all realize after Maria's heartfelt speech that their hate did kill everyone. Schrank, Krupke and Doc arrive and the gangs, calling a truce forever, form a funeral procession, with Maria following. The police arrest Chino for murder and lead him away.