The Leonard Bernstein Forums

[Miki]

How I miss the good old days when West Side Story was discussed on both here and on the old message board with aplomb, and that so many different opinions on this great musical that's both great on screen and stage, who are from all walks of life, ranging from complete love of this musical to intense dislike for it (although the latter is a distinct minority).
For more than 40 years, West Side Story has been my alltime favorite film, and it remains so to this day. From the time I first saw it as a high school Senior, at around Christmastime 1968, in a now-defunct cinema roughly an hour north of where I reside, to right now, this movie/musical classic has never ceased to hold a great grip on my imagination and my heart, as it does for many other people. Of course, since many years have passed since I was a high school Senior and first saw this great film, and could still identify with the kids in the film, I now see the film somewhat differently; in terms of its beauty, its symbolism of a time when movies had much more of a plot and a story, and were better photographed, without so much graphic stuff and exploding on the screen, and, the fact that I'm more aware of the various emotions in West Side Story that're so beautifully expressed in terms of dance. Ironically, unlike with a lot of people, being aware of certain things that went on in the film, such as the dubbing of Natalie Wood's and Richard Beymer's voices, and part of Anita's voice, too, as well as the fact that much, if not most of West Side Story was filmed on a huge soundstage, with designs that looked uncannily like a true-blue run-down urban background, the magical quality of West Side Story has not been dulled for me at all.

No matter how many people may claim that West Side Story is merely a film for starry-eyed high school kids, I refuse to buy into this school of thought. I have resolved to dismiss the people who make fun of me in a nasty way for my love of this great classic as people who have issues of their own, and can't seem to get any real pleasure out of life, because that's what they are, imho.