SPIELBERG'S "WEST SIDE STORY": DANCE AS A CULTURAL BATTLEFIELD

      Last month's Academy Awards garnered a lot of attention which had little to do with the movies. This critic would like to correct that oversight right here and now, starting and ending with "West Side Story,"  nominee for both Best Picture and Best Director. It's only natural that Stephen Spielberg's film would be compared to the original 1961 motion picture which won Oscars for Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. Unfortunately, this recent version is not as good regarding casting, costuming, and use of locations.  Bluntly speaking,  it doesn't have all the "snap, crackle and pop" that the initial one did.

     What it does have, however, is the same extraordinary music/lyrics and in many cases, Justin Peck's similar choreography. This last point redeems Spielberg's endeavor, especially considering that dancing per se demonstrates subjects and themes that are hardly ever present in dramatic contemporary films. ( Two exceptions come to mind: "Saturday NightFever" and "Dirty Dancing." ) Thus, not only do all three movies depict a particular time and place in the development of working-class youth, but the choreography also illustrates cultural concerns and the characters' personal concerns.
     Let's be specific concerning the recent "West Side Story," where dance clarifies ethnic and social class distinctions, shows the protagonists' emotional/moral changes and conveys peer group solidarity. In a word, dancing provides a battlefield, where lines are drawn between disadvantaged teenagers ( the Jets and Sharks), where the characters' sense of self worth, identity and freedom evolve as they move with ease through the area. This ease of movement extends to their own turf as well as to the nearby business neighborhood, although it is often interrupted when they meet the opposing gang. ( The original version limited the opening dance number to the playground and the surrounding empty streets). 
    Additionally, the opening choreography exemplifies important  aspects of the gangs' demeanor, contradictory qualities that remain constant throughout the film: the appearance of "hanging loose," while still exhibiting power and strength. Thus, the Jets and Sharks seem to glide effortlessly through the streets and simultaneously to walk firmly planted on the ground.
     Choreography accomplishes other significant things in "West Side Story," most emotionally when the  school dance brings the American-bred, Tony, and the Puerto Rican - born, Maria, together for the first time. The couple performs a symbolic mating ballet in a room filled with criss-crossing lines; their dancing is similarly composed of sharp movements, seemingly a metaphor for the difficult path they will follow. 
     No doubt "West Side Story" will continue to be a classic no matter what version audiences prefer. The part dance plays is one salient reason why.

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