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NEW ULM - The New Ulm Film Society (NUFS) continues to encroach on musical theater's turf, with a screening of "West Side Story," which could lead to a rumble.
The film screening begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at the New Ulm Public Library.
"West Side Story" is the fourth film in the New Ulm Film Society musical film series and is often cited as one of the greatest film musicals of all time. The film won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It still holds the record for the most Oscars won by a musical. It was also the highest-grossing film of 1961, the year it was released.
The success of "West Side Story" was not an accident or a surprise. The producers knew the movie would be a big hit before a single frame of film was shot, because "West Side Story" was adapted from a hit Broadway musical that initially hit the stage four years earlier. The decision to make a film version of the musical was an easy business decision.
The original musical itself had an impressive pedigree. The plot for "West Side Story" was lifted from one of the most famous writer's of all-time, William Shakespeare.
"West Side Story" is intended as a modern retelling of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The setting has been changed from Verona to New York's Upper Westside, but the basic plot is the same with two young people falling in love despite the fact they are on opposite sides of a long and violent feud.
Instead of Romeo and Juliet, "West Side Story" has Tony (Richard Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood). Instead of a turf war between the Montagues and Capulets, it is a gang war between a White gang, The Jets, and a Puerto Rican gang, The Sharks.
There are several other similarities between "West Side Story" and "Romeo and Juliet" but reframed for the modern American setting. Instead of a balcony scene where the two star-crossed lovers meet in secret, Tony and Maria meet on a secluded fire escape. The sword duels are swapped out for knife fights.
The idea for the musical originated with Jerome Robbins, who would later co-direct the film with Robert Wise. Robbins collaborated with famed composer Leonard Bernstein, who wrote the musical's score and Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the lyrics.
The result was a musical with extremely catchy songs. The soundtrack album for West Side Story was the best-selling record of the 1960s and for a time, was the best selling-record ever. Several of the songs featured in the musical, such as "Somewhere," "America" and "Tonight" have become musical standards outside of the film. However, it was not the music alone that made the film a success.
"West Side Story" is a visually stunning film. In 1961, when some films were still being shot in black and white, but "West Side Story" was shot in full color on 70mm film. Even today the cinematography of "West Side Story" is considered some of the best.
The film also made the bold decision to film on location. Many of the exterior scenes were shot outside in New York City giving the movie a large wide open look that goes beyond a simple stage production. This also allows the directors to create wide crane shots to better highlight the choreography of the dancers.
Four years later, Co-Director Robert Wise would use similar techniques when directing "The Sound of Music." It's entirely possible that without "West Side Story," the scene of Julie Andrews spinning on a hilltop in the Alps would have never happened.
Modern-day directors still analyze the camera movements in "West Side Story" as inspiration. Director Steven Spielberg was so impressed with the movie that he directed a remake in 2021.
There is a place for "West Side Story," and it is as the cornerstone of the modern movie musical.
New Ulm Film Society's screening of "West Side Story" is free to the public. Before and after the film, there will be a discussion about the movie's place in film history.