West Side Story
Jul. 18th, 2015 09:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
onyxlynx posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
classicfilm My, there is a lot of dust here! Let me just brush some of it off...there. That's better.
So. West Side Story. I saw it about 50 years ago; we were in Europe when it came out originally, but it was re-released somewhere around '64-'65. It was a must-see movie. My cousins, of course, saw it first-run and knew all the lyrics and half the dialog, and quoted and sung frequently. I had obtained the Original Soundtrack record when I signed up for Columbia Record Club (I was under age) and ground every note deeply into my DNA. There was a production in San Francisco several years ago where I had to be prevented from singing along. Did I mention the "ground into the DNA" part?
The Suck Fairy, which has not only visited beloved old movies but moved in with furniture, did bring a few things into tighter focus. (I of course know the backstory of the Broadway musical, that the film's location was a condemned neighborhood subsequently torn down to build Lincoln Center, etc.) Somewhere along the line, I had noticed that the Puerto Rican gang gets the short end of the characterization stick; I hadn't noticed that most of them aren't even Puerto Rican. (Yes, I know.) The irony that the "American" gang is composed of previous immigrants is not lost on me now. Tony (Richard Beymer)...I have to admit that I was laughing and shaking my head a lot. These days, he comes across as stiff and a bit hammy. And I could not believe that someone in an alley calling "Maria!" would not have had at least 10 other windows opening. And the accent kept escaping Natalie Wood. And apparently I managed to miss that the scene in the candy store is a near-rape.
The music, of course, still holds up very well, and I still know all the words to "Officer Krupke." The dancing is still excellent.
ETA: I should have mentioned that the cartoon shown was a very early Bugs Bunny.
So. West Side Story. I saw it about 50 years ago; we were in Europe when it came out originally, but it was re-released somewhere around '64-'65. It was a must-see movie. My cousins, of course, saw it first-run and knew all the lyrics and half the dialog, and quoted and sung frequently. I had obtained the Original Soundtrack record when I signed up for Columbia Record Club (I was under age) and ground every note deeply into my DNA. There was a production in San Francisco several years ago where I had to be prevented from singing along. Did I mention the "ground into the DNA" part?
The Suck Fairy, which has not only visited beloved old movies but moved in with furniture, did bring a few things into tighter focus. (I of course know the backstory of the Broadway musical, that the film's location was a condemned neighborhood subsequently torn down to build Lincoln Center, etc.) Somewhere along the line, I had noticed that the Puerto Rican gang gets the short end of the characterization stick; I hadn't noticed that most of them aren't even Puerto Rican. (Yes, I know.) The irony that the "American" gang is composed of previous immigrants is not lost on me now. Tony (Richard Beymer)...I have to admit that I was laughing and shaking my head a lot. These days, he comes across as stiff and a bit hammy. And I could not believe that someone in an alley calling "Maria!" would not have had at least 10 other windows opening. And the accent kept escaping Natalie Wood. And apparently I managed to miss that the scene in the candy store is a near-rape.
The music, of course, still holds up very well, and I still know all the words to "Officer Krupke." The dancing is still excellent.
ETA: I should have mentioned that the cartoon shown was a very early Bugs Bunny.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-18 11:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-19 01:06 am (UTC)(Also, I've been known to smile when Winnipeg plays San Jose.)
Yeah, even now I want to dance like that. *sigh*