Principal cast
Natalie Wood as Maria, Richard Beymer as Tony, Russ Tamblyn as Riff, Rita Moreno as Anita, and George Chakiris as Bernardo
Film 41 of 244 on the Screen Path
West Side Story
The screen achieves one of the great entertainments in the history of motion pictures.
About the film
West Side Story at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1961 film at stop 41 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
Key craft credits
Daniel L. Fapp (director of photography), Thomas Stanford (editor), Leonard Bernstein (original music composer), Ernest Lehman (screenplay), and Boris Leven (production design)
- Director
- Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins
- Release
- 1961-12-13
- Runtime
- 153 minutes
- Genres
- Crime, Drama, and Romance
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
Try Citizen Kane →Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.