Supposedly one of the greatest musicals on film. I have to agree that some songs, like America and I Feel Pretty, were really great and popped off the screen (with great lyrics, music and choreography), but the surrounding depiction of the story was terrible. It's starts with teenage gangs (played by 30 year olds) doing ballet-pirouettes to show how tough they are.. The Romeo and Juliet part between rival gangmembers is unbelievable as the two characters have barely met and just don't seem to care about each other. The clash between racially different gangs is an interesting plot, but is ruined by the ballet choreography and the lack of personalities within each gang. So some interesting elements in this movie, but they completely didn't match with the feeling they wanted to express.

Perhaps I just don't like musicals put to film, but I'd recommend seeing this on a stage, where they can probably capture the atmosphere way better than on a screen.

Still dynamic, after all these years.

Incredible how a 1961 musical / movie can after so much time can still be nowadays. Although the opening of the film is a bit strange (not what I remembered from when I was young)... This "feeling" emphasized by the cops remark; "break it up you cock suckers" will disappear after a while. After so many decades it still turns out to be good way to spend some time.

No hasting for the next special effect or huge explosion seen from 3 different angles. Just a good story with lost of things going on. I myself am a science fiction freak (will watch B-movies) but love to watch this musical / movie. I especially like the colours and soundtracks.

Hell I even watched "The Sound of Music" several times and went to the movie "Annie" when I gave my birthday party (mostly girls invited). The first one is less of a problem to admit today, thanks to the movie "The Postman" directed by Kevin Costner.

But I still had to squeeze in an apology for going to the movie "annie" LOL

How good it looks, what photography, what direction, what dances. The weaker one who plays Tony

The dance choreography and music are really good. The colors and cinematography make this really pretty. The story is kinda lame until the end. If you like musicals you will love this and if you don't it's still entertaining to watch for some good music and dancing. This makes me want to rewatch La La Land.

A classic of youth comedy.

I wanted to like this but most of the songs weren't my cup of tea, I found the character plain, and I got bored after an hour passed.

Not for me. The acting seems hollow and it just seemed ridiculous couldn't watch more than 30 min, so boring

A classic of the musical youth comedy.

The choreography is endlessly charming and stunning. The cinematography and lighting is so creative and adept at setting a mood. And some of the music is catchy. But uh. Brownface. The America song. It’s more than a bit racist! Besides that, Rita Moreno is a treasure who makes magic out of everything she’s given, but the two leads can’t sell a romance this fast. The book is clunky especially when the movie tries to eschew camp to deliver a moral and falls flat, and I get why Sondheim was not fond of his lyrics here, cause they are far from the best and you can tell his heart wasn’t in it. Despite all that, it’s fondly remembered for a reason, and while it’s not a story I’m likely to revisit past seeing the remake tomorrow, it is one I enjoyed seeing for its craftmanship.

Not one for me.

I did not enjoy 1961's 'West Side Story', unfortunately. I felt almost everything about it to be kinda crappy if I'm honest. For one I didn't feel any chemistry with the cast, with no standout performer in sight; and that's on top of the iffy casting itself. None of the music - aside from that one tiny bit of "Tonight" - hits and the story comes across as forced.

The musical numbers are also extremely staged, the whole thing feels like a stage performance rather than a film; in fact, I genuinely assumed that the actors were just Broadway performers - à la 'Jersey Boys'. New York City also doesn't feel real or, away from the main characters, lived in.

Admittedly musicals aren't my go-to, though I'm more than capable of enjoying them. This, however, just didn't work for me at all. I wouldn't class it as anything awful, it's just simply quite poor - in my eyes, of course. Many, including the Oscars apparently, disagree!

With all that said, I'm still interested in checking out the 2021 remake at some point to see what Steven Spielberg did (or didn't do) with it.

Don't let the "It's racist" trope put you off. This movie deeply affected an entire generation and was a powerful harbinger of the Civil Rights movement. If you were unaffected by the story I feel sorry for you.