The Jets - a group composed of full-blooded white Americans. The Sharks - made up of Puerto Rican immigrants living in New York city ghetto. These two gangs are at war, and the streets are never safe at all when the both are present. One Polish-American immigrant, a pacifist from the Jets, found himself in love with a Puerto Rican named Maria, sister of the Shark's gang leader, Bernardo. Yes, it's forbidden love. Seems familiar? Shakespearean origin perhaps? Well this is West Side Story, and its plot felt as though it made a Romeo and Juliet out of the New York streets. Having been critically-appraised way back in 1961, and taking home 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, it's a bit low-key to say that West Side Story doesn't appeal so much to modern day movie fanatics. I admit, I wasn't all too swept-my-feet-away with this film but I believe this film is a good one. It's a great musical film and it entertains with it's breathtaking choreography and respectable musical score. It has many melodramatic moments, some a bit corny for modern era viewers but it's downright inevitable for the audience to swept by its dance sequences. Even the first scene, the finger-snapping sequence, was great fun to watch and it's all old-school kind of enjoyment. There are stirring moments too, especially when the character of the Puerto Rican Anita, Bernardo's wife, went inside Doc's candy store filled with Jets' gang, and was insulted, harassed and almost gang-raped - and spat her wrath and shouted that Maria is dead, abandoning her promise to convey the message to Tony, Maria's lover. That scene alone screams discrimination, racism and most of all, the lack of respect for women. For what I believe, as the film started to roll, it came out as a snappy musical, an athletic piece of film, not overly grandiose but credible enough to make modern day Footloose's hide with jealousy. And when it continued to go into the pace, it becomes a love story, a melodramatic kind of forbidden love story where two people wanted to be together yet never destined to be together - and lastly, the tragedy ensues.

So the dancing was remarkable, and Bernstein's musical score is a towering achievement especially the unforgettable ballad "Somewhere" - West Side Story snags a specific spot of musical-making history. It's a landmark, just like the few classic musicals which all made it to the top. Absolutely, its cinematography, music and choreography deserved so much respect, but the thing is, I was only a bit disappointed by the drama. The dialogues were too common to mark something in history. The acting were too drowned by the film's plot, and if only they had made it much stronger, then it would have made a very powerful film for the ages. Only two performances here which are crown-worthy and they come from Anita's Rita Moreno and Bernardo's George Chakiris, who both won Oscar Best Supporting performances. West Side Story didn't win any major acting prize, and it's unquestionable, because even Richard Beymer portraying his character Tony wasn't so compelling, although he's what every leading man is made of. Natalie Wood as Maria was acceptable but too overriden by her talents of dancing, leaving the real drama behind.

This is a good film. A classic that is respect-worthy, but West Side Story would have been more powerful if the drama would have been more well-realised. Anyway, as what I said, a terrific cracking musical. It remains as one of the greatest achievement in musical motion picture history.

Rating: A-