By: Alex Phuong (A Toast) –
West Side Story (1961) Bonus Drinking Game
Take a Drink: for every musical number
Drink a Shot: for every gunshot
And Cheers: to the power of love!
Movie Review
Romeo and Juliet is arguably THE greatest love story of all time. William Shakespeare’s timeless classic has been performed, retold, and re-imagined as a timeless tale of love, passion, and romance. Because of its enduring legacy (largely thanks to its somewhat simplistic storyline), it is no surprise that artists would try to contemporize it to appeal to modern audiences. One of the most iconic retellings is West Side Story.
A Toast!
The triumphant winner of ten Academy Awards, including “Best Picture,” West Side Story re-updates William Shakespeare’s play as a vibrant (but also violent) musical. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer portray the star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony respectively, amidst the chaos and confusion of being part of the rivalry between two gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, in New York City. Rita Moreno won an Oscar for her supporting role as Anita, Maria’s best friend, and Moreno even served as a grand marshal for the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Years Day, 2020. George Chakiris also won an Oscar for his supporting role as Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.
Like many classic Hollywood productions, the aesthetic look of this film is very vibrant and vivacious while still appealing to the audiences during the time period in which it was produced (which in this case, is the late 1950s to the early 1960s). This film really is just about as iconic and recognizable as Romeo and Juliet itself!
Verdict
Romeo and Juliet has provided inspiration for some of the most famous films ever produced ranging from the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli production released in 1968 to James Cameron’s Titanic (1997). Even Steven Spielberg felt compelled to remake this film set for release in late 2020 even though the coronavirus is currently having a direct impact on Hollywood and theaters as of March 2020. Nevertheless, West Side Story will always remain one of the greatest films ever made even though the original stage production (and its subsequent revivals on Broadway) have never won the Tony Award for “Best Musical.” That might sound shocking, yet the love story between Tony and Maria still lives on while the ones closest to them sing and dance to the classic song about modern America appropriately titled “America.”
