So much average

Great Film overall

best movie i've ever seen.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Racism, xenophobia, sexism, a little dash of homophobia, violence and absolutely loads of toxic masculinity. Partially redeemed by Maria's soliloquy at the end about "hatred", although the writers didn't really have the words that we do now to name the all the hatreds.Of course the music is beyond brilliant, but otherwise this movie's best feature these days is as a reminder how far our society has progressed - and of how much further we have to go.

"west Side Story" perhaps has one of the best scores ever for Broadway show. Every Song is great. The talent behind the camera outshines the leads. Natalie Wood is great in her role as Maria. Richard Beymer is also very good but there is NO CHEMISTRY between the two leads. However the supporting cast is excellent. The dancers outshine the leads however Rita Moreno & George Chakiris deserved the Academy Awards that the received for their work in this film.In case you didn't know this is a modern day telling of Romeo and Juliet. This time the rival families are street gangs in New York.Despite no chemistry between Natalie & Richard the film is still excellent. The last scene with Natalie Wood should have gotten her an Oscar. However since she was dubbed and she had no chemistry with Richard she went home with no statue. In the documentary on the making of the film you can see why Natalie was dubbed. However today with auto tune I think they would have fixed her voice. If you ever get the chance to see this on the big screen take advantage of it. It is very impressive on a big screen with big sound!

There is certainly tough competition when trying to decide the best musical of all time but I believe West Side Story is the clear winner. The acting is first rate and the locations gritty and realistic so you get the feel of what it is like to be a poor immigrant in New York. Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno are outstanding as the beautiful innocent Maria and the alluring more worldly wise Anita. Above all, Bernstein's music is breathtaking and unique, sweeping from gangster slang through lively Hispanic dances to luminous love songs. Unlike many musicals, it always feels real and grounded which makes the tragic ending all the more moving.

This updated Romeo and Juliet tale, on the streets of New York, is the only movie so far to share the Best Director Oscar between two directors, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (his film debut was also the only film he directed).After the Overture, the film opens fairly silently with breathtaking (helicopter high) overhead views of Manhattan before the camera is focused - and zooms in - on a city playground (where the story later ends). Director Wise would use virtually this exact same technique to open (and close) his other Oscar-winning Best Picture The Sound of Music (1965), which features the majestic Alps in place of the cement and steel 'mountains' of New York City.Two rival street gangs: Riff (Russ Tamblyn) is the leader of the ethnic "White" Jets, Bernardo (Chakiris) the leader of the "Hispanic" (actually, Puerto Rican) Sharks and brother of Maria (Natalie Wood); Moreno plays Maria's friend Anita, who is also Bernardo's girl. When Tony (Richard Beymer), who was formerly with the Jets, and Maria fall in love, there is conflict played out ever so creatively in song and dance, with Tamblyn lending his many skills in this area. Of course, their's is a forbidden love which can only lead to tragedy. Simon Oakland, Ned Glass, William Bramley (as Officer Krupke) and John Astin play the adult supporting roles.The film won 10 (out of 11 nominations) total Oscars including Best Picture and both Supporting roles, George Chakiris and Rita Moreno (who also uniquely has an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony Award as well!). Added to the National Film Registry in 1997. #41 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movies list. #3 on AFI's 100 Greatest Love Stories list. "Somewhere" is #20 on AFI's 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time. "America" is #35 on AFI's 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time. "Tonight" is #59 on AFI's 100 Top Movie Songs of All Time. #2 on AFI's 25 Greatest Movie Musicals list. The Academy Award winning Score also includes the Leonard Bernstein- Stephen Sondheim songs "Maria" and "I Feel Pretty".