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West Side Story

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West Side Story

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• Music
• Musical

• 1961
• Robert Wise
• 145 mins
• PG

Summary

Film version of the classic musical with songs by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is updated to late-1950s New York where two rival gangs, the American "Jets" and the Puerto Rican "Sharks" are preparing for confrontation. The tension is heightened when Maria, the sister of "Sharks" leader Bernardo, falls in love with a former "Jet", Tony.

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Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Tony Sloman

Ten well-deserved Oscars - plus a special award for Jerome Robbins's dynamic choreography - adorned this electrifying and moving version of the magnificent Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical. It's an update of Romeo and Juliet, here turned into a New York gang parable set in the turbulent late 1950s. And surely the only Oscar ever given to an actor for merely looking good went to the elegant George Chakiris. Natalie Wood is genuinely touching as the tragic Maria and Richard Beymer - criticised at the time as her lover, Tony - now seems the very quintessence of adolescent yearning. Co-director Robert Wise was no stranger to movie musicals: he had been the uncredited sound editor on the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers films The Gay Divorce and Top Hat, and would later fashion The Sound of Music into one of the all-time box-office champs. Steven Spielberg's makeover has much to live up to.

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7.6/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameMariaNatalie WoodTonyRichard BeymerRiffRuss TamblynAnitaRita MorenoBernardoGeorge ChakirisLieutenant SchrankSimon OaklandDocNed GlassIceTucker SmithActionTony MordenteChinoJose De VegaOfficer KrupkeBill BramleyPepeJay NormanGlad HandJohn AstinA-rabDavid WintersBaby JohnEliot FeldAnybodysSusan OakesGraziellaGina TrikonisIndioGus Trikonis

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Crew

rolenameDirectorRobert WiseDirectorJerome Robbins

Details

Theatrical distributor

Park Circus

Released on

2011-09-16

Languages

English | Spanish

Guidance

Violence.

Available on

video, DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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