...and I ended up absolutely LOVING it.
I'm 41 and I remember seeing parts of it over the years, but I just saw it all the way through for the first time last night. What an amazing movie from start to finish!!
You was my brother, Charley. You shoulda looked out for me a little bit. - Terry Malloy
Welcome to the club, jcI2!
It's great to see another big fan of this great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic film! I'm a devout fan of the film West Side Story myself, who, for more than 40 years, have taken every opportunity to see this film, whether it be in a real movie theatre with the lights down low, on a great big, wide screen, or on the TCM (Turner Classic Movies) Channel, on TV.
I'm considerably older than you, but West Side Story is a movie that I never get tired of seeing over and over again.
The MGM quote
"Unlike other classics, West Side Story grows younger."is so true!
So awesome to hear that you loved it too! For me, it's just one of those that never gets old, never outlives its relevance and always touches my heart!
"Good times, noodle salad"
Thanks, JujusFlix! This:
For me, it's just one of those that never gets old, never outlives its relevance and always touches my heart!
I really wanted to like this film more than I did because over the years I heard so much good things about it(e.g. the dancing, and I had heard several of the songs); plus, I like Natalie Wood in some of her films.
Unfortunately, I found some parts of the film dated, and parts of the movie was sluggish. But most of all, certain parts of the film was unrealistic (e.g. Maria finds out that Tony has killed her brother, but within minutes of hearing the news she goes to bed with Tony!).
Richard Beymer was weak as Tony. I read that Elvis Presley was interested in the role. But I also read that Warren Beatty was also interested in the role of Tony. He might have been good in it, especially as he and Natalie were having an affair at the time. Natalie Wood was just competent in the role of Maria.
It is the supporting players such as George Chakiris, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn, and others whom give the acting some edge. If Richard and Natalie's acting was as good as the supporting players, the film might have been more moving and tragic; and more importantly, a true masterpiece.
Nevertheless, many of the songs are good ("America" is a truly great song and still relevant in 2017). The dancing and direction is to be praised.
When the film was first released, many critics thought it was the greatest musical of all time. Now, 55 years later, its reputation has diminished somewhat. It has so diminished that the film does not even make top ten film lists of greatest musicals.
A good musical, but no masterpiece because of its flaws.
As expected, Shakespeare did it better and more movingly.
While you've made some good points, yesbloom, I still think that
A) Natalie Wood was okay as Maria.
B) Richard Beymer had certain constraints on him placed by director Robert Wise, which goes a long way towards explaining why Richard Beymer didn't play a Tony with a little bit more of an "edge". The way in which both the original scripts of the Broadway stage version and the film version of West Side Story were written also had a great deal to do with that.
C) I agree that Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris, Rita Moreno, Simon Oakland, Susan Oakes (who played Anybodys), David Winters, Tucker Smith, Ned Glass, and Eliot Feld all helped make this movie as strong as it is.