dvr this
Turner Classic Films, Monday, May 7, 7 p.m.
Easily one of the two or three greatest movie musicals of all time, West Side Story is also my favorite. Stunningly shot, directed and choreographed, it is not just so beautiful to look at, but as affecting as any production of Romeo & Juliet, which it is, of course, based on. The rival Italian families of Shakespeare’s play are replaced by rival ethnic gangs in modern New York City, with Maria (Natalie Wood) falling in love with Tony (Richard Beymer) before tragedy strikes. The songs and the score are among the most indelible of 20th century music. Not to be missed.
