WEST SIDE STORY

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. From your first cigarette. To your last dyin' day."

I was one of those people who had never seen West Side Story until well into adulthood. Heck, I remember someone was so shocked by this that they called me un-American! (Really?) I tended to shy away from classic musicals, but finally buckled to see this film that has been called a musical for people who don't like musicals.

And you know what? It's true. There is a reason that West Side Story won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It has a surprising staying power, which really shouldn't be so surprising as it is based on a classic of Western literature: Romeo and Juliet. But it is 1950s New York City. Two street gangs, The Jets (white kids) and The Sharks (Puerto Ricans) snap their fingers and fight with words and switchblades for territory.

In the shadows, two kids from opposing sides fall in love. It is kind of funny... despite the fact that Tony (of the Jets) and Maria (sister of the leader of the Sharks) are the central part of the story, somehow Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood's portrayal of the young lovers ends up being least memorable part of the film. For one thing, scenes are stolen right from under them, like pulling a tablecloth out from under a setting. Poor Beymer and Wood don't know what hit them as George Chakiris (as sexy, swarthy Bernardo, leader of the Sharks) and Rita Moreno (as Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend) completely run away with the movie (and Supporting Actor/Actress Oscars), along with Russ Tamblyn, the leader of the Jets.

If you are familiar at all with Shakespeare, you know that violence begets violence, and it all ends in tragedy, so, therefore, does West Side Story. But the ride is glorious. I was agog at the colors of the film, from the lush darkness and red tones, to Bernardo's stylish purple shirt, the Puerto Rican girls' red dresses, and Riff's mustard-colored jacket. The soundtrack is a blend of jazz and Latin music, just the edge of burgeoning rock. And the dancing and choreography is fantastic. Seeing the gang members butchly dance in unison, or the ladies samba is one thing, but be amazed at the lithe choreography of the fight scene that turns it into a dance of violence.

This vicious cycle of racial and class violence that still resonates today is summed up in the scene where Doc interrupts the Jets' near-rape of Anita. In disgust, the weathered, jaded adult says to one of the young punks, "When do you kids stop? You make this world lousy!" The kid glares at him, "We didn't make it, Doc." It is too bad that West Side Story continues to be so relevant, but at least the movie is as timeless as the message.

BLU-RAY NOTES

The 50th Anniversary Edition on Blu-Ray is something collectors will enjoy, if only to see the colors of the film on their fancy Hi-Def TVs. The three disc set includes a DVD and two Blu-Rays (one with extras only). The film has been digitally restored, so of course will look great on your HDTV. The special features include the 2003 documentary West Side Memories, plus half an hour or so of brand-new featurettes, which don't really add a lot of new information (though it is fun to see Stephen Sondheim's hair turn from grey to white between 2003 and 2011). Sondheim also offers in-depth song-by-song commentary for the Broadway geeks. Pow! The Dances of West Side Story gives in-movie analysis of the dance scenes by various in-the-know folks, plus a video jukebox allows you to access the songs in the film directly. Finally, there are original trailers, and a storyboard-to-film-comparison montage.

[See images from West Side Story's 50th Anniversary celebration at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.]