Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet has been adapted and reworked on film countless times over the years, from Baz Luhrmann’s MTV inspired 1996 version  to the frankly bizarre Gnomeo and Juliet earlier this year. Perhaps the most creative and successful adaption of all, however, is West Side Story. When it was released 50 years ago, it was hailed as an innovative, modern masterpiece. Now it has been re-released in a re-mastered form to celebrate its Golden Anniversary. It is both gratifying and slightly surprising to see that age has not tarnished what is still an exciting and fresh piece of cinema.

The main strength of   is its use of music and movement. The opening scene of the gangs dancing through the streets of Manhattan is a triumph in choreography as the gangs somehow manage to be balletic and threatening at the same time.
The modern choreography blends perfectly with an almost flawless  score that transforms in an instant from being catchy and fun, in songs such as “America”, to moving and poignant in numbers such as the heartbreaking “Somewhere”.

Perhaps the only flaw in the film is the casting. Wood and Beymer may look attractive together, but Beymer is rather wooden and their romance sometimes slips from sincere to melodramatic. Furthermore, both Wood and Beymer are not singing their roles, but being dubbed over, which is rather irksome and sometimes distracting.
The casting may not be perfect, but this is the only main criticism for, what is otherwise, a near perfect film. 50 years on it is still a powerful piece of cinema and the film’s themes of lost innocence and disillusioned youth seem very relevant today.