Blog 004 *West Side Story

"West Side Story: tension between two gangs"

The movie was released in 1961 and won several awards like best picture. It famously inspired by the story "Romeo and Juliet," although it shies away from the complete tragedy of the original by fudging the ending. Like for example, it was not a cosmic misunderstanding but angry gunfire that kills Tony, and Maria doesn't die at all; she snatches the gun and threatens to shoot herself, but drops it -- perhaps because suicide would have been too heavy a load for the movie to carry. (By Edward Flores – A movie article review)

The movie also talks about the tension between a white gang, the Jets, led by Riff, and a Puerto Rican gang of immigrants, the Sharks, led by Bernardo. Two of the gang members face off against one member of a rival gang, Sharks leader Bernardo, a darker-skinned, black-haired Puerto Rican immigrant. He is joined by his gang members, and they pick up the beat by clicking their fingers. The gangs both are vying for control of the streets, alternating between dominance and submission. Two of the members provoke each other, and after an extended confrontation, a full-scale brawl breaks out when the Jets come to rescue Baby John, the youngest member of their gang, from an assault by the Sharks.

I like the set design of the movie wherein the scenes were taken mostly in the places like it was abandoned; the place where the two gangs met each other. Set design helped that movie to pull off some scenes like for instance when they kept in running away because of the police men are approaching but the place had many corners where they can hide. The setting of the movie was really applicable to the story; tension between two gangs.

The places used in the movie were very accommodating to the story because when we take a look into their spaces used and their sequence as well it need big spaces for them to run and execute their part very well.

When we talk about the costumes used by the characters in the movie, I think for the standard of a 1960’s movie it was really a good design and style being used. You can see the classic grace of their costume and the elegance the way they used and wear their design. The design and the style used among men were very good-looking and it was obvious in the movie that boys are dominant compared to girls. The design used among men are simple yet attractive the way I look into the screen. Their attire fits the way they portrayed their characters in each scenes. In the other side, women’s costume in that movie were also good. I think I can compare this movie to a certain theater play wherein most of the characters were men. It is a nature of the western countries who had their theater play that most of their characters were men and men portrayed some characters of a woman using a mask.

Definitely, the acting and blocking of the movie was also really good. The choreography of the movie was the one who entice me to pay attention in every scene they had. Their movement was done very simultaneously and very neat. I can say that they are very well-prepared in every scene they had and very effective of their blocking. In such movies I’d watched, it tempt myself to pay attention in a certain story or movie when it has the following genre: action, horror, comedy and musical. These kind of movies captures my attentions very well.

Lastly we will took about the usage of the camera angles in the movie. First it was presented during the opening prologue, a breath-taking aerial shot of Manhattan from a bird's eye view captures the city with its bridge traffic and highway ramps, its waterfront docks, parks and skyscrapers. The camera passes over recognizable landmarks as it moves steadily to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and then speedily zooms down and plunges into a concrete playground. A gang of 'cool' white youths are posed together in one corner of a basketball court, clicking their fingers to the syncopated rhythm of the musical score. The aggressive gang members leave the fenced-in playground and cross the tenement street. In the famous, dazzling opening sequence, they gradually break into a highly-stylized dance and then burst into a daring, high-stepping sequence - an exhilarating, inventive, visual ballet of pirouettes, vigorous athletic moves, and running jumps that symbolizes their dominance and energy - they are readying themselves for a gang brawl.

            As I have stated above, I like the angling of the camera the way the movie started or open. It captured an establishing and a bird’s eye views of the west side of the place and then captured also an establishing shot of the place where the opening prologue was done.

            To some up everything, for a 1960’s kind of movie it was an outstanding one because they come up with that movie where technology is not yet really that developed. Bravo the director of the movie, to the casts, script writer, the very good choreography and to all the production staff of the movie who were the tool that made West Side Story possible and effective until at present.