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222 of 227 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WEST SIDE STORY Impresses, April 3, 2003
Wow. What a great DVD. The one hour documentary featuring interviews with some of the cast, Robert Wise, Harold Prince, Sondheim, and some key crew members is completely engrossing. Home movie footage showing the filming of the movie is included. Examples of the techniques that the movie makers used to film a musical are fascinating. I was amazed that the knife scene, for example, is COMPLETELY counted out and the actor/dancers' movements were choreographed down to the second (breath, two, three, four; stab, two three; look, two, three, four). Incredible! Rita Morena is particularly informative regarding the dubbing of her song "A Boy Like That". The Robbins/Wise codirecting of the film is explained. And some of Natalie Wood's original vocals are included. The documentary is invaluable for fans of the film. As for the film itself, it looks and sounds incredible on my widescreen HDTV. The anamorphic transfer is very good. The DVD is packaged very well. The book which accompanies the set is very cool, with a great introduction by screenwriter Ernest Lehman (who is one of my movie heros). I'm very impressed with this special edition of WEST SIDE STORY. The film is a classic, and deserves such treatment.
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91 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE Musical, As It Should Be Presented, December 14, 2004
"West Side Story" is proof that the sum of its parts can not only be greater than the whole, but possibly be the greatest!
Little known writer in Elizabethian England pens a drama about two star-crossed lovers. Flash ahead to the turbulent streets of New York in the late 1950s and early 60s. Turn feuding families to rival gangs. Add music, choreography, make it vital. Then find a brilliant director who knows what to show, and watch as it takes home every Oscar it can.
We know the story of this film but what's important for you to know about here are the extras you get in this package that make it worth your while: The first disc is the film, preserved perfectly. And the second disc has your special features.
First, you get a great documentary on the making of the film. Titled "West Side Memories," Principals like Sondheim, Moreno, Chakiris, Beymer and more sit before the cameras and explain the process of preparing and executing what could be the finest example of the Hollywood Musical, ever. It's a piece that's could have been a stand alone DVD, it's so rich with insights.
You also get an interesting "Storyboard to Film" montage, where you see the artist's renderings of the scenes, and how those shots looked when they appeared in the film. You get to study these storyboards more carefully in several galleries on the disc. Lots of other goodies, like the theatrical trailers and photos galore... everything from Jerome Robbins's cattle call for dancers to location shots during production!
And if that wasn't enough, there's a massive book that comes with the set, that includes the complete script of the film, the original lobby brouchure that theater patrons who attended the film received, which has more photos and info, and the newspaper clippings lauding the film as it took its place in movie musical legend.
It's simply a valentine to a remarkable film, and a fantastic package, all the way around.
Highly recommended.
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57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
5 star movie does not get the blu-ray it deserves, October 27, 2011
I have loved this movie since I first saw it as a kid and I have been eagerly anticipating it's release on blu-ray. How disappointed I am to now learn that some major flaws have apparently been made in the transfer to high-def. Apparently MGM/Fox will not be recalling the set, but will at some future date replace discs for those who want to send them in. This makes the decision to buy it now, before seeing exactly what kind of fix takes place and how it is implemented, a more difficult decision than it might otherwise have been. I should probably have posted this for discussion in the forums section, but most people don't read those and I think people should be alerted to this issue so they can make an informed decision before deciding to lay down their hard earned money. This issue has been written about by Robert Harris, one of the best known and most admired film restorers. For a more detailed discussion go to
HomeTheaterForum.com and/or Blu-Ray.com This great film and it's fans deserve the best possible treatment on blu-ray. As someone pointed out in a comment at Home Theater this is probably the last hard disc edition before everything goes to streaming. That's another reason why we should demand that they get it right. UPDATE: I've just finished watching the blu-ray and I can not recommend it. The issues with the blackout in the Overture and the quality of the image in some of the scenes are regrettable, but if that was all that was wrong I could probably deal with it. What I can't deal with is the audio which is a disaster. The 7.1 mix sounds like it's being heard through a pillow. The 4.0 mix has much more snap and presence, but the extreme stereo separation is horribly unnatural and distracting. I've seen this movie many times and I've never noticed this before. Dialogue was not centered. When Bernardo and Anita are talking in the stairwell after the "America" number they are shot close up and centered on the screen, but her voice is emerging from the far right and his is coming from the far left. When Maria is making her final speech after Tony's death her voice is constantly bouncing from left to right every time the camera shifts position. Also, there are times, particularly when the gangs are singing in "Quintet" that they sound like they're in an echo chamber. On top of this the rear channels are disproportionately loud forcing me to adjust the balances for my speakers. And before anyone asks I'm quite certain that these problems are not due to any shortcoming with my sound system.
I'm also disappointed that, unlike the previous dvd release, the blu-ray provides no option for watching without the intermission. I never saw this with an intermission in the theater and I find it to be unnecessary and intrusive. Apparently the first theatrical showings of the movie had the intermission, but Robert Wise didn't want it and it should just be dropped. Some movies, like "The Sound of Music" are structured around an intermission. This one isn't. Besides, it's not quite long enough to justify an intermission.
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