Robert Wise's Film West Side Story: The Theme Of Gang Conflict And Sour Love

West Side Story, directed by Robert Wise and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, is a modernized musical released in 1961 that is based on the already successful Broadway play, and the narrative is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. With a storyline closely resembling the Classical Hollywood Cinema Style, the dramatic series of events within the film continue to build suspense and hostility until a fight takes place, eventually ending with the resolution of the overall conflict. This tale of opposing gangs and doomed lovers conveys many elements of man versus man racial conflict through the mise en scène—specifically the positioning of characters—and camera angles in a way that allows the audience to both relate and sympathize with the characters.

In the beginning scene, the audience is introduced to a gang of teenage boys who call themselves the “Jets” when the camera swiftly zooms from an aerial shot to a close-up on the leader, Riff. Then panning to the right, the viewer sees the remainder of the group imitate Riff’s rhythmic finger snapping to establish the assimilated brotherhood mentality the boys uphold.

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As the scene continues, the Jets are filmed walking together at a side angle from behind a chain link fence, which gives the audience a feeling of unease and alludes to the fact that trouble is in the near future. Suspicions are confirmed as the Jets confront the native Puerto Rican leader of the Shark’s gang: Bernardo. Tension is immediately established as the carefree score comes to an abrupt halt, and the gang members silently stare each other down.

Dismissing Bernardo with a haughty laugh, the group exits the screen; however, two momentarily linger to whistle at Bernardo as if he were a dog. This seemingly simple action gives the audience vast insight to the way in which the Jets view the Sharks. With little regard, they are seen as inferior objects rather than humans. It also becomes clear to the viewer that the Jets are highly territorial as the camera pans through the city bringing into view buildings and sidewalks marked with the gang’s name. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Jets also view members of the Sharks as property partly because of their differences in ethnicity and skin color.

Throughout the film, both gangs are victims of verbal racism. At first glance, the Sharks seem to receive all of the abuse. Rather than simply calling them by name, the Jets depreciate their humanity by referring to the Sharks as the “PRs” (meaning Puerto Ricans). Various Jets disparage about the Sharks, “They multiply… they keep coming… like cockroaches!” The Jets also suffer verbal attacks when the Sharks call them “Polacks” and utilize various stereotypes associated with white American men—the most notable are those associated with women and relationships between differing races. A prime example of this verbal discrimination occurs in the scene when Maria and Tony first fall in love.

The film heightens the overall conflict when both gangs show up at a dance. The room itself instantly delivers a feeling of tension and passion through the initial crane shot of the red-walled room surrounding the dancing pairs. As the Sharks make their entrance, the music slowly fades away, and the Jets huddle together on the far side of the room. The camera provides a few shot/reverse shots between the gangs to openly portray an eye line match between Riff and Bernardo, as well as to enhance the resentment felt by the characters. With the sound of heavy footsteps, the leaders decrease their distance; the adult in charge of the dance intervenes to hold the boys away from each other, and a police officer with a baton in hand appears in the background. All of these elements of character positioning help to develop the apprehensive, aggressive tone.

The busy dancing scene is interrupted minutes later when Tony, a member of the Jets, and Maria, Bernardo’s sister, spot each other from across the room. The excess screen space blurs out as they longingly gaze into each other’s eyes, which tells the audience that they are meant to fall in love. However, the viewers can easily guess that this will cause problems; not only are the two representatives of opposing gangs, but Tony is a white male while Maria is a Hispanic female. Just before their lips meet Bernardo angrily shoves Tony away saying, “Get your hands off, American… There’s only one thing they want from a Puerto Rican girl!” This line clearly displays Bernardo’s stereotypical opinion of the depraved intentions of white men toward women of another ethnicity. It is at this point in the film that the Jets propose a War Council to finalize the terms of the Rumble, the high point of the gangs’ conflict.

At first, the setting of the Rumble, under a highway bridge, is filmed from behind a red-tinted chain linked fence. Being almost an identical scenario to the beginning scene, this generates a trapped, suspenseful feeling that conveys the fast approaching danger. The underside of the highway is also red: the color of blood and fire denoting war, danger, and power. The Sharks enter the makeshift arena first by climbing over the fence and gathering on the far side as they watch their opponents join. The Jets, scaling the structure opposite the Sharks, collectively stand on top of a concrete wall for a few seconds with the camera shooting at a high angle to show the Jets literally “looking down on” the Sharks; this helps to establish their air of superiority. After menacingly removing their coats, the fighting begins in the dimly lit area. When the Rumble has concluded, two fatally wounded characters lie on the ground: Bernardo and Riff. At the sounds of police sirens the gangs dissipate and plan revenge toward one another.

The resolution to the issue of racial discrimination between the gangs occurs after Tony is shot by a member of the Sharks. Intending to engage in yet another fight, the boys are interrupted when Maria commands, “Stay back!” Heartbroken and infuriated by the death of her love, she takes the gun and points it at each person, Shark and Jet alike. She proclaims, “All of you! You all killed him! Not with bullets and guns…With hate!” Together the tragic events and Maria’s harsh but truthful accusations cause the boys to reconsider their racial differences and disagreements. In the end, they join their strength to lift Tony’s lifeless body off of the pavement and carry him away both literally and symbolically in harmony.

Because of verbal and physical racial confrontations, the members of the Sharks and Jets endure a cycle of unfortunate events which ultimately leads to the demise of several of their peers. Although the rivalry does eventually come to an end, it is with high costs. Characters often portrayed facing each other, accents in the color red, and various camera angles all support the overall hostile environment that consumes the majority of West Side Story and attributes to the deeper meaning of settling differences between races.