Meaning Dissolves into Song

I have to admit, I've never been a fan of 1961's West Side Story. I love a lot of its components. I love several of the songs, particularly "Somewhere". I love the cast, especially Richard Beymer and Rita Moreno. I love Romeo and Juliet, the Shakespeare play on which the story's based. The trouble is, most of the three hour runtime is dominated by gang business and I never understood the gangs' motivations, something which is undercut even further by the fact that they dance half the time. I disagree with the film's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, which I don't think is about the redemptive power of love but about the tragedy of two young people who get carried away with their feelings before they know any better. And, certainly, Shakespeare's dialogue is a lot better than Ernest Lehman's.

It's not like I don't "get" '50s American gangs. Show me The Wild One or The Outsiders and I'll be happy. Those movies make it very clear what motivates the young men, the alienation they feel from their society and their confusion manifesting in naturally aggressive instincts. We never even see any parents in West Side Story. The characters talk about them, about this or that their parents might not approve of, but we never see them to judge for ourselves just how valid these complaints are.

The Puerto Rican gang is a little more plausible than the Jets when the police detective clearly seems to be taking a side against them based on race. But it doesn't seem clear why they would fight the Jets instead of the cops, or target property owners or other people who could be seen as more directly connected with a system that shuts them out.

Tony (Beymer) and Maria (Natalie Wood) are actually a little annoying. Without Shakespeare's dialogue vividly putting you in that place of being madly in love, they just seem kind of dumb, and irritatingly so, especially when Maria insists that Tony stop the rumble. What did they really think would happen when he tried it?

The only character in the movie who really works for me is Anybodys (Susan Oakes). Her motivation is clear--she wants to be part of the gang. The obstacle between her and attaining her goal is also clear--she's a girl (biologically; she may be transgender). So when a member of the gang calls her "buddy boy" after she manages to help the Jets, there's a real sense of triumph as well as concern for her that so much of her self-worth is tied up in a doomed bunch of hoodlums.

Otherwise, I can enjoy the musical numbers and some of the sets, but mostly I spend a viewing of West Side Story waiting for it to finally end.

West Side Story (1961) is currently available on HBOMax.