2h 33min | Crime, Drama, Musical | 18 October 1961 | Color, WS
Directors: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
Stars: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno.
Tommy Abbott ... dance assistant
Margaret Banks ... dance assistant
Howard Jeffrey ... dance assistant
Tony Mordente ... dance assistant
Jerome Robbins ... choreography by / stage play: director / stage play: orchestrator
Hal Bell ... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Peter Gennaro ... co-choreographer (uncredited)
Howard Jeffrey ... assistant choreographer: Mr. Robbins (uncredited)
Lee Theodore ... assistant choreographer (uncredited) / dancer (uncredited)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/
~20 songs in the Soundtracks.
I have avoided watching this for a long while because I remember hating the ending. Today I hate nearly everything except the ending, even the great dancing.
This film, especially the dancing, glorifies street gangs. By making them dance so well, and dance their aggressions, this gives them skills and talents they don't really have.
And it glorifies hate. It shows how destructive it is, but hate gives these losers something to do, and something easier than being constructive.
The film is very well done, although a little long, but that's the problem. It conveys discipline and expertise to the amateur pursuit of gang banging.
I can't argue with Tony's death. He got swept back into hate, and killed before he was felled in turn.
The worst thing about the execution of this film is the singing. The voices were not well matched to the actors, and didn't have the same grit as the performances/dances.
Previously rated 8 on 2006-11-14. I'll keep it at 7 because this is very well done.
