User:Stephenfisher2001/sandbox/West Side Story (1961)

West Side Story is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. With a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, the film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris, and was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp in Super Panavision 70.

West Side Story is regarded as one of the greatest musical films of all time. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and was selected for the National Film Registry in 1997. A new film adaptation of the same name by Steven Spielberg is set to be released on December 10, 2021.

Plot
Two teenage gangs struggle for control on the Upper West Side in New York City during the 1950's. The Jets, a white gang led by Riff, brawl with the Sharks, a group of Puerto Ricans led by Bernardo. Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke arrive and break it up. The Jets decide to challenge the Sharks to a rumble after an upcoming dance. Lovers Maria and Tony find themselves entangled in the bitter battle between their gangster families. Knowing this feud will lead to disastrous consequences, Maria sends Tony to end the fight.

Critical response
The film received high praise from critics and viewers, and became the highest-grossing film of 1961. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 10, including Best Picture (in addition to a special award for Robbins), becoming the record holder for the most wins for a musical. It holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 8.38/10; the site's critical consensus states: "Buoyed by Robert Wise's dazzling direction, Leonard Bernstein's score, and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, West Side Story remains perhaps the most iconic of all the Shakespeare adaptations to visit the big screen.".

Box office
West Side Story was a commercial success upon its release. It became the highest-grossing film of 1961, earning rentals of $19,645,000 in the United States and Canada. It remained the highest-grossing musical film of all-time.