Film and music: West Side Story

Two lovers on opposing sides: in Shakespeare’s play they are called Romeo and Juliet; in Bernstein’s, Tony and Maria. Leonard Bernstein’s rousing music – performed live by the Musikkollegium Winterthur – made *West Side Story* a hit musical. It is no coincidence that the now legendary film version won ten Oscars.

A feast for the eyes, ears and heart, this film carries a clear message: tolerance and reconciliation instead of violence and prejudice. For Maria and Tony do not care about the enmity between their gangs; for them, only love matters. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” story is set here in 1961 New York, where even the shabbiest backstreet is picturesque, where magnificent Buicks and Cadillacs drive by, and where the famous balcony scene takes place on a fire escape. From today’s perspective, it may seem jarring how unabashedly the characters’ Puerto Rican heritage is portrayed through skin colour and accent. In this respect, the film is as much a document of its time as the Broadway-style choreography of the fight scenes. After these exuberant dance sequences, the tragic ending is all the more poignant. Today, just as then, we suffer alongside the young lovers who are torn apart by hatred.