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By GERARD MARCHETTEIn transferring West Side Storyto the screen, its makers have not only enlarged the scope of the marvelous stage production, they have dared. Aside from its fabulous entertainment values, the film Is an absolute cinematic experience, a breath-taking collaboration of technical, visual and audio skills.When the camera literally suspends the viewer atop the New York skyline in the first shot, then lifts in a steady ride across that city's landmarks and finally swoops onto that West Side playground, one realizes he is not in the company of movie underlings but of movie Caesars.Tingling Grandeur An era has begun, a new empire has felled an old and static one. and moviemaking has grandeur again. Who is responsible, one suddenly asks, for this tingling experience? For there have been no credits, only the pulsating, lush rhythms of the overture and after that, the click of finger snapping that announces the Jets.In mere minutes, a stage treasure, fondly remembered, has discarded its legend, and becomes a new, amazing discovery. Later on, the credits do tell us that Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins have codirected it, that cinematographer Daniel Fapp has shot it, that Ernest Lehman has adapted the book, and so on.But what matters for the moment is that West Side Story goes on. unaware of its own aspirations and fulfillments, delivering to the unsuspecting (and those like us. who have been anticipating it) one of the most beautiful, one of the grandest, one of the most exciting movies Hollywood and its gods have ever created.Of course, the preceding endorsement runs the risk of being pretensious as well as slightly hysterical. Enthusiasm in such an instance as West Side Story becomes contagious, tilting the preordained huzzahs of other critics' favorably to one’s own conclusions.Hack Love Story?A dissenter can very blithely argue that the foundation of its story (“Romeo and Juliet”, as we have been told too many times) is obvious and hack, and that in the recreation of its lovers as the Puerto-Rican Maria and the Polish-American Tony, it is unworthy and spiritually empty.And doesn’t the whole thing reduce the Montagues and Capulets to mere street gangs, sick-sick variety? In so doing, hasn’t choreographer Robbins glorified an aspect of diseased modern society into a norm that defies all precepts for civilized living?For the dancing in this film, as it was on the stage, is an integral force in the vast flow and sweep of the characters to their respective destinies. One finds himself twitching rhythmically in his theatre seat in response to the constant movement of images of this film.John Martin, dance critic of the New York Times, is one of the learned and conscientious objectors to this amplification through dance of degenerate behavior patterns. A few months ago, he called Mr. Robbins and his apostles on the carpet in a column that denounced their modern dance form H8 an obscene waste of their talents.Larger Dance AudienceBut look sometime at the highly-praised “Ballets Africains” or some of the witty stufT Roland Petit does, and you can find parallels that make Mr. Martin’s objections negligible. Thanks to Mr. Robbins, Michael Kidd and Agnes deMille, the dance in America has reached an audience that once was confined to the ballet Btage.In West Side Story, dance not only provides the continuous sense of movement this film has, it advances the plot. When, for instance,Maria, all glowing with the prospect of the gym dance, swirls into a haze of red light, the hot mood of the evening is immediately established. dissolving into the sinuous rhythms of the Jets and their girls.The opening sequence alone demonstrates the amazing assimilation of skills this film projects. The restless stalking of the two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, is crisply defined through sharp cutting from alleyways, scaffolds, playgrounds and rooftops, with the constant underlying music and street sounds, to the streets, where the tension all but explodes.The music itself, (the first-rate score of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is unimpaired) refuses to remain static, whether sung or danced. Take the moment Tony echoes Maria’s name and moves out into the street, propelled to the girl he has just met. Does he stand still? Mr. Wise keeps him moving and the song takes wing.NatalieRestless DuetEven in the inhibited confines of their lowly dwelling, the duet between Maria and Anita, right after Bernardo’s death, is given a restlessness that transcend operetta. Look at any number of moments: the fire-escape duet between Maria and Tony; the “Officer Krupke” acrobatics; the “Cool” number led by Ice in the garage.Since a review must necessarily cite performers, the duty here is doubly hard. West Side Story is blessed with a uniformly fine group of players. Although Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer do not do their own singing, they do amazing lip service by the words of each song.In fact, each brings a lot of grace and dignity to the roles of Maria and Tony. Miss Wood, just nominated for an Academy Award in Splendor in the Grass, enhances every moment of a rather naive role, while Mr. Beymer, clean-cut and manly, makes an excellent contrast to the toughs danced sobrilliantly by George Chakiris, Tucker Smith and especially Russ Tamblyn, respectively Bernardo, Ice and Riff.Mr. Tamblyn does some eyepopping leaps and splits, the likes of which haven’t been seen since this nimble actor's dancing in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (which Michael Kidd, by the way, choreographed). Mr. Chakiris is not behind by any means, making Bernardo, by turns, warm, sneering and pathetic.Stand Out6Likewise, Rita Moreno comes momentarily into her own as the hot-blooded girlfriend of Mr. Chakiris. In the Tonight montage, Miss Moreno eschews sex with delightful candor. In other roles, Tony Mordente as Arab and Sue Oaks as Anybodys stand out.Whatever your own impression of West Side Story will be depends on the extent of your addiction to the movies. For the purists, there will be those (and other) flaws we hinted at. For the entertainment seeker, it will be practically unequalled.And for the Teck, where it premieres next Thursday night, let ushope it will run many months andwin at least 7 Academy Awards.CINEMATHEATRE OF DISTINCTION645 MAIN ST. TL J-H05HURRY FINAL WEEK! 1st BUFFALO SHOWINGBrigitte Bardot's Newest Film“THE TRUTH”A Raoul J. Levy Production — Directed by Henri-Georges ClouzotShown Doily of 1:00, 3:05, 5:20, 7:40, 9:45 — Lot® Show Sot.SUNDAY thru THURSDAYam
Newspaper Details
Buffalo Spectrum
Buffalo, New York, US
Fri, Mar 09, 1962
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Marcella A.
USA 27 Jun 2023
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