West Side Story

Those who have a love for the stage version of West Side Story must have shuddered when they heard that Hollywood was planning a movie of same, complete with stereophonic sound, Panavision 70, and Technicolor. The shudders probably reached earthquake proportions when the faithful learned that the Film to End All Films was going to star Natalie Wood, Russ Tamblyn, and other Hollywood flora and fauna.

Now the great movie has been made (it was shown in a special preview Sept.27). And take it from one who has seen the stage production in London, Boston, and Cleveland, this movie surpasses them all. For once, Hollywood has done more than justice to a great stage play. The film version of West Side Story is brilliantly acted and photographed; it comes through as a moving, exhausting emotional experience.

To a great extent, a musical must be taken on faith. Most people just do not burst into song when they meet or fall in love or suffer--at least not on the outside. And to its credit, I think, the movie does not try to evade the issue; it is the only screen musical I have ever seen in which the performers hold for applause after song and dance numbers. But the movie overcomes this effort of belief on the part of the viewers by its convincing and captivating sincerity. This is a superbly directed film. Not a word, not an expression, not a movement is out of character; this is also the only movie I have ever seen in which an adult audience periodically burst into applause.

The last minutes of the film do grate somewhat. When Tony dies, you would think the movie would have the decency to end soon thereafter. But the camera lingers, showing closeups of everybody's acne, until much of the drama is drained from the scene.

Miss Wood as Maria, Richard Beymer as Tony, and Tamblyn as Riff are all surprisingly good. But the star of the movie is Rita Moreno, as Anita. Her performance in the duet "I Have a Love" with Maria is all by itself worth the rather steep price of admission.