THE PLOT
Short Summary
West Side Story (1961) is an energetic, widely-acclaimed, melodramatic musical - a modern-day, loose re-telling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tragedy of feuding families, although the setting is the Upper West Side of New York City in the late 1950s with conflict between rival street gangs rather than families. West Side Story is still one of the best film adaptations of a musical ever created, and the finest musical film of the 60s. It arrived at a time when the silver screen was realizing tremendous competition from TV and other genres of cinematic entertainment.
Longer Summary
Act 1
In the Prologue, a conflict between two rival teenage gangs, the Jets (2nd generation Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) is enacted through dance. Most of the scene is silent. The tension between the gangs is quite visible. The boys are struggling for control of the neighborhood. Accented by police whistles and taunting phrases, the Prologue establishes the fierce rivalry between the two groups.
Following a brief exchange with the ineffective policemen, Lt. Schrank and Officer Krupke, Riff, the leader of the Jets, devises a plan to gain control of the street ("The Jet Song"). The members of the gang boast of their strength, restate their bond to one another and declare their intention to protect their turf. Riff and the Jets decide to initiate a rumble, with control of the neighborhood as a prize for the winning gang.
Riff has a harder time getting his best friend Tony to re-join the gang. Riff convinces Tony to join the Jets at the neighborhood dance where Riff's plan will be put into motion. Tony agrees out of a sense of loyalty to Riff, but expresses his unhappiness with his current life. He feels himself growing away from the gang and envisions a different and better future ("Something's Coming").
Maria, the sister of the Shark leader, Bernardo, has only been in America a short time. She works with Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, in the bridal shop. Anita is making Maria a dress to wear to the neighborhood dance. Maria sees this dance as the official beginning of her life in this country. Like Tony, she is full of hope. Bernardo arrives with Chino, a quiet, intense member of the Sharks. Maria's family has selected Chino to be her future husband.
A social worker, the Gladhand, introduces the rival gang members and their girls; they dance sociably for about two minutes. Then a challenge dance erupts. Tony and Maria, however, suddenly see one another. In a moment of romantic suspension, they dance together, oblivious of the tension around them. They fall in love. The romantic idyll is interrupted when Bernardo roughly pulls Maria from Tony's arms. Maria is sent home, as Riff and Bernardo arrange a War Council at the local coffee shop which is considered neutral ground.
Unaware of the plan between the two leaders, an ecstatic Tony sings of his newfound love ("Maria"). As he sings, Maria appears on a fire escape above him. They profess their love for each other ("Tonight").
Anita and Rosalia, along with other Puerto Rican girls, are gathered on a city rooftop. They begin to express conflicting views about their lives in the United States ("America").
At the drugstore, the shopkeeper, Doc, tries to convince the Jets not to have a rumble with the Sharks. The gang try to show Doc their pent-up tension they feel. Ignoring Doc, Riff and Bernardo set up the rumble for the next day and agree on weapons. Tony suggests a less dangerous fist fight. After the others leave, Tony dismisses Doc's fear with his conviction nothing can go wrong because he is in love with Maria.
The next day, Maria learns about the rumble from Anita at the Bridal Shop. When Tony arrives, Anita leaves. Maria begs Tony to stop the rumble and he promises her he will. They enact a mock marriage ceremony ("One Hand, One Heart") swearing that "even death can't part us now."
Later that night the boys on both sides prepare for the upcoming rumble, Anita prepares for her date with Bernardo after the rumble, and Tony and Maria sing of the excitement they feel for when they will see each other again ("Tonight Quintet").
As of Maria's request, Tony tries to stop the Rumble. Though Bernardo taunts Tony, ridicules his attempt to make peace, and provokes him in every way, Tony stays his ground. During the Rumble, Riff and Bernardo get in a fight involving knives. Tony warns Riff to back away, but Riff blows him off and continues the fight. Bernardo stabs Riff. In blind fury, Tony angrily kills Bernardo in an act of revenge. The sirens scream; everyone runs except Tony, who stands transfixed at what he has done. Anybodys, a tomboy whose dream is to become a Jet, has followed the gang, and prods Tony to escape, just in time. The curtain comes down on a stage which is empty except for the bodies of Riff and Bernardo.
Act 2
Unaware of the tragedy under the highway, Maria sings to her friends about her reactions to love ("I Feel Pretty"). She speaks of marriage, and her friends assume she is thinking about Chino. Chino enters with the news Tony has killed Bernardo. Left alone, Maria is praying; Tony enters through the window. He explains why he killed Bernardo in a moment of anger over Riff's death. Maria forgives him, and they declare their determination to be together. They both imagine a new world where they can live together in peace and acceptance ("Somewhere"). At the end of the dream, Tony and Maria are in her bed, in each other's arms.
In an alley, the bumbling Officer Krupke is questioning the Jets about the murders. Anita arrives at Maria's apartment. Tony escapes through the window, telling Maria to meet him at the drugstore so they can run away together. Anita realizes Tony has been with Maria and turns on Maria in fury for making love to the man who killed her (Maria's) brother ("A Boy Like That"). However, when Maria explains ("I Have a Love"), Anita realizes Maria loves Tony as much as she loved Bernardo. She warns Maria that Chino has a gun and is planning to kill Tony. When Shrank arrives to question Maria, Anita agrees to go to the candy store to tell Tony to wait for her.
Anita is prevented from reaching Tony by the ethnic prejudice of the Jets. The gang's verbal taunting of Anita gets physical and is turning into rape when she is saved by Doc. In her fury and humiliation, Anita lies and tells Tony's buddies Chino has killed Maria. Doc tells Tony, who is hiding in his cellar, Maria and his dreams for the future are gone because she is dead. Feeling there is nothing to live for now, Tony runs out to find Chino. On the street, he sees Maria. As they run towards each other, Chino turns up and shoots Tony. Tony is still alive, but struggling. As Maria the Jets and Sharks flock around the lovers, Maria tries to pull Tony back from the brink of death ("Somewhere Reprise"). Tony dies in her arms. The adults arrive at the scene, and Maria takes Chino's gun. She tells everyone that hatred is what killed Tony and the others, and now she can kill them because their hate has affected her. But she is unable to bring herself to fire it, and she collapses in her grief. She brings the cycle of violence that the gangs have had to an end.
Gradually, all the members of both gangs assemble on either side of Tony's body, suggesting that the feud may be over. The Jets and Sharks form a procession and together they carry Tony offstage. Chino is hustled off to jail by Krupke, while the adults stand by, still helpless.
Musical Numbers
Act One
Prologue (dance sequence)
Jet Song - Riff and the Jets
Something's Comin' - Tony
The dance at the gym (dance sequence)
Maria- Tony
Balcony Scene (Tonight) - Tony and Maria
America - Anita, Rosalia and the Shark Girls (movie version is rivalry between males and females. Musical may include Men)
Cool - Riff and the Jets
One Hand, One Heart - Tony and Maria
Tonight - Tony, Maria, Riff, Bernardo, Anita (and, optionally, the Jets and the Sharks)
The Rumble (dance sequence)
Act Two
I Feel Pretty - Maria, Rosalia, Consuela, and Francisca
Ballet Sequence
Interpolating: Somewhere (A girl)
Gee, Officer Krupke - Action and the Jets (mainly Action, Diesel, A-Rab and Braby John)
A Boy Like That/I Have A Love - Maria and Anita
Taunting scene (dance sequence)
Finale (Tony and Maria)
|
