This modern revival of the classic play by William Shakespeare features two people, involved with opposing gangs who fall in love. This leads to extreme conflict and the eventual tragic ending known to all. These two characters greatly enhance the film and make it an unforgettable and instant classic.

The two main characters, the lovers, are Tony and Maria. Tony is associated with the Jets while Maria is the sister of the leader of the opposing gang, the Sharks. These two groups have many disagreements not only because of the claiming of turf, but also because the Sharks are foreign, from Puerto Rico, hence the nickname given to them by the Jets, the PR’s. Tony and Maria meet at a mutual dance, where the appearance of each character is very important, because while Tony is wearing the gold jacket, similar to the rest of the Jets, Maria is wearing Puerto Rican garments, and of course her skin is darker, and she has an accent. Neither of these characters despise the other group of people, and furthermore when they meet and dance together, they fall in love. The villains of this movie are not only one group of gang members, but every gang member on both sides who would oppose the lover’s affair. In this movie the actors were very successful in making their characters meaningful, and these performances definitely contributed to the work as a whole.

The theme of this movie is the destructiveness of violence, not only physically but also emotionally. This message was communicated with the literal action that took place throughout the film. This theme was revealed through the two great main characters and the phenomenal work done by the actors. With the impressive performance in all categories of this film, West Side Story is awarded with five stars.