Complete with fantastic choreography

What I found to be most interesting about the West Side Story was the way it reflected what was going on in the United States at that point in history, the movements of the 60s that tend to be overshadowed by the Civil Rights movement and Rock and Roll. One of these movements that I found most interesting is its presentation of the female sexual revolution that took place in the 1960s.

The female sexual revolution is reflected in the differences in the two main female characters: Maria and Anita. Throughout the film Maria is innocent and pure, all of which is symbolized by her frequently wearing white. Anita, on the other hand, tends to act more powerful and is of a rawer, more sexual nature. She also tends to dress in brighter colors, like purple and red. One scene in specific exemplifies these differences. Just before “the rumble”, in the quintet version of the song “Tonight”. Anita’s “verse” talks about how she and Bernardo are going to “have [their] private little mix/Tonight”. She does not care if Bernardo “walk[s] in hot and tired”, “Anita’s gonna get her kicks/Tonight”. Anita is empowered and in touch with her sexuality. This is in contrast with Maria, whom is singing about being reunited with Tony. She wants “the minutes seem[ing] like hours”. Her view is a bit more innocent.

These moments are brief and obviously are not the main focus of the film. But the fact that they are slipped in there shows that the film makers obviously understand their significance. Also, the fact that there are similar moments representing other movements of the time is what makes this film so great to me. The 60s were such a monumental decade in our history – so much changed! And this film totally shows and expresses and celebrates all of that while still telling an engaging story… complete with fantastic choreography.