West Side Story Essay - 741 Words

In 1961, West Side Story, a filmed version of the hit Broadway musical that was inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was released to viewers, who just could not resist the energy and excitement of the movie. Thirty-eight years later, viewers, like myself, still cannot resist it. I had never seen the film, which was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, before, but I had always wondered why people loved this multi award-winning movie so much. After viewing the film, I think that it deserved the ten Academy Awards that it won because it has withstood the test of time and it truly is a remarkable film. It still has the same flair and ability to lure the viewer into the plot as it did when it was first shown in†¦show more content†¦The Jets immediately hate the Sharks because they are different and vice versa. The two gangs’ hatred is brought to a public level at a dance the same night as the first fight. During the dance, sparks fly between th e sister of the leader of the Sharks, Maria, played by Natalie Wood, and former co-founding member of the Jets, Tony, and their Romeo and Juliet-like romance begins. Although the doomed Romeo and Juliet plot was rather predictable, the choreography and songs, which I think were the main reasons why this film won Best Picture, were not. I never knew when the actors were going to start singing and dancing, which added a delightful element of mystery to the film. The directors and cinematographer, Daniel L. Fapp, worked together to change the way musicals were traditionally shot. Instead of using traditional long shots, they used quick cuts and varied angles to enhance the appeal of the musical numbers. I was fascinated by the way the colorful costumes, which won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, fit together perfectly with the dance numbers to enhance the entire scene. The way the women tossed the skirts of their frilly, bright dresses around to fit the beats of the music truly made the scenes wonderful. The scenery in the film was perfect for the West Side of New York City. The rooftops, alleys, and secluded spots are what won West Side Story the Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color Oscar. The songs are unforgettably beautiful, especially â€Å"IShow MoreRelated West Side Story Essay1120 Words   |  5 PagesWest Side Story 1. Point out how the general setting of the play is established. Give at least two examples. The play West Side Story takes place in a suburb on the West Side of New York City. We can conclude that we are talking about a socially disadvantaged suburb as the surrounding area is described with high brick walls, not very attractive and by the presence of the two gangs – the Jets and the Sharks. We are also able to say in which time period the actions take place. As anRead MoreWest Side Story Essay978 Words   |  4 PagesThe movie West Side Story directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise is a reinterpretation of the famous play, Romeo Juliet. The movie associate producer Saul Chaplin, music by Leonard Bernstein, film editor Thomas Stanford, costume design by Victor A Gangelin, and production manager, Allen K. Wood. The actors playing in the movie are Richard Beymer, Natalie Wood, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Tucker Smith, Tony Mordente, David Winters, Eliot Feld, Bert Michaels, Robert Banas, CaroleRead MoreWest Side Story Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1961, West Side Story, a filmed version of the hit Broadway musical that was inspired by William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, was released to viewers, who just could not resist the energy and excitement of the movie. Thirty-eight years later, viewers, like myself, still cannot resist it. I had never seen the film, which was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, befo re, but I had always wondered why people loved this multi award-winning movie so much. After viewing the film, I thinkRead MorePrejudices in The West Side Story by Arthur Laurents Essay803 Words   |  4 PagesThe book West Side Story written by Arthur Laurents is set in the mid 1950’s, created as modern version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. West Side Story is a romantic tragedy about two characters that are supposedly completely different and aren’t accepted when they fall in love. The â€Å"difference’s† between these characters is centered on the prejudice’s they had against each other. Prejudice is a harsh opinion or feeling formed previously without any knowledge or reason. The Jets and the SharksRead MoreWest Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim Essay1472 Words   |  6 Pagesperformance combining music, dance, acting and spoken dialogue. Written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, ‘West Side Storyà ¢â‚¬â„¢ is a classic American musical based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The through-composed score and lyrics are used to portray different characters and their cultures, the rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, and the emotions felt as the story progresses. This essay will be exploring the music and how effective the score is in realising the world and charactersRead MoreLove in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and in the Movie West Side Stories876 Words   |  4 Pagesmost well known love stories of all time in the play from the 15th century, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare tells the tale of young love and fatal misfortune. With the same message the musical from the 50’s, West Side Story directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise carries out a similar story of young love and tragedy. Although some are touched by these love stories, others believe it tells a tale of young fools. Although the theme of tragedy is seen in bo th stories as the time goes on fromRead MoreWest Side Story Analysis972 Words   |  4 Pagessocial status in culture is not only shown in history, it is also depicted in several films such as the original 1968 Planet of the apes, and 1961 West side story. Both films are unique in their own ways but go hand in hand presenting specific perspectives on race and social status from the beginning of history through today. In the reading West side story by Alberto Sandoval he explains how the film perpetuates the image of racial problems explaining that the film has its profound structure expressingRead MoreEssay on West Side Story731 Words   |  3 Pages West Side Story Day 4: 2-page essay nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The West Side Story portrays the lives of two different gangs living in America, as well as their beliefs and examples of living a good life. The expectations of what people consider the good life to be may vary on a person’s morals and their dreams of what life is truly about. In this movie, whether or not these characters were good people, lived a good life, or lived in a good society is a very controversial topic. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;TheRead MoreEssay on West Side Story549 Words   |  3 Pages West Side Story nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In this musical, it uses several types of narratives, for example, after the fight between the Jets and Puerto Ricans, after the police leave, they enter the ally and the girl is begging to join the gang saying how much she wants to fight is a part of narrative sexuality (B 34). The girl is more of a tom boy who wants to be like one of the guys. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Also, in the West Side Story, it uses many camera angles and distances. OneRead MoreThe Importance of West Side Story Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesWest Side Story is one of the great contributors to musical theatre, in particular Broadway where it originally opened on September 26 1957 at the Winter garden Theatre. The production ran for 732 performances before entering the world of film in 1961. However, I believe its significance lies in the heart of the theatre where the audience is subjected to different styles of music, dance and of course an adaptation of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. In fact, Leonard Bernstein first decided to call