West Side Story: A Portrait of Life in 1950s New York City

            Can a movie be a true reflection of the time period in which it was made?  Although primarily created as entertainment for the purpose of making money, movies can be a great vehicle for the creators to effectively portray their views of contemporary issues.  For example, West Side Story, one of the most famous musical movies of our time, is often described as a modernized Romeo and Juliet, which is certainly an acceptable interpretation; however, this movie can also be seen as an accurate depiction of life in New York City’s West Side at the time when the movie was created.  In 1961, when this movie was released, city life in America was wrought with prejudices against minorities and urban life also spurred gang violence produced by the expressions of teens attempting to gain the respect of their peers.  West Side Story portrays both of these issues in its storyline revolving around a romance between members of two rival gangs, The Jets, who are the primarily White Anglo Saxon kids of working class parents, versus the Sharks, a Latino gang determined  to earn respect and equality on the city streets.  The romance is, unfortunately, doomed to fail because of the vicious rivalry between the gangs, thus highlighting that the lessons learned are of greater importance as this film shows the devastating results of hatred for fellow man based only one’s cultural background.  Therefore, the creators of West Side Story succeeded in portraying the historical accuracy of life in 1950’s New York City where prejudices and gang violence were part of everyday life.

          Although African Americans were making progress in their fight for civil rights, all minorities suffered at the hands of white supremacist thoughts and actions in all of American society in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  National attention had been given to the cause of African American civil right; however, Latino Americans were also fighting for their own equal rights.  Latinos had been considered second class citizens as well and were denied access to white areas and were not given equality in jobs, housing, or education.  This attitude was exacerbated when Cuban exiles started entering the United States in large numbers after Fidel Castro violently overthrew Dictator Fulgencio Batista in late 1958. Fear of being overrun by foreigners drove the already white supremacist thought. This is portrayed in the beginning of the film in the “Jet Song” when the Jets sing:

“We're drawin' the line,
So keep your noses hidden!
We're hangin' a sign,
Says "Visitors forbidden"
And we ain't kiddin'!”

The Jets make it all too clear that they do not want the Latinos in their territory.  The message is evident that foreigners were not welcome in their neighborhoods

            The Sharks, on the other hand, feel the animosity directed at them and are clearly trying to fight for respect and acceptance.  The song, “America” defines the Latinos attitudes about their emigration to the United States in search of the American Dream and the reality of life in New York City.  The girls, led by Anita, sing about the wonderful opportunities for them in America compared to their home in Puerto Rico, however, Bernardo and the Sharks counter each statement with the discrimination with which they are faced.  When Anita sings, “Life is all right in America”, Bernardo responds with, “If you’re all white in America.”  These two lines which sum up the entire song reflect the quest for the American Dream and the prejudices felt by minorities because of the lack of equal opportunities afforded them in 1950’s America. 

          The portrayal of these gangs shows not only prejudices against minorities, but also against perceived juvenile delinquency.  In the late 1950’s, teens rebelled against the conformist society established by their elders and  “juvenile delinquency” increased dramatically.  Gangs began roaming the streets of cities such as New York and Chicago, street fighting in “rumbles” to protect what they believed to be their territory against rival gangs.   This is also is portrayed in West Side Story, where the gangs were fighting for their territory as Action explains, “A gang that don’t own the street is nothing.”  These rebellious teens were misunderstood by the elders in their neighborhoods accenting the generational conflicts which abounded in the 1950’s.   The song, “Gee, Officer Krupke” demonstrates the Jets poking fun at the police officer, whom they encounter on several occasions, explaining that their delinquency is the fault of their parents and society.  Officer Krupke is not the only police officer who automatically assumes that the teens are causing trouble.  Lieutenant Shrank displays his hostile attitude towards the teens by addressing them as “hoodlums,””hooligans,” and “punks.”  Therefore, this film accurately depicts teenage rebellion, juvenile delinquency, and generational conflicts of the 1950’s.

            Although it is a dramatic movie, the 1961 film West Side Story accurately portrays life in the 1950’s by highlighting many of the social issues of the time.  This film focuses on the strained racial relations and the beginning of the fight for equal rights for all minorities; and generational conflicts between the new breed of teens and their parents, underscored by the birth of rock and roll music and a fear of increasing juvenile delinquency.  Discrimination towards minorities was a major issue coming to light in the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, and prejudicial attitudes towards Latinos, especially,  were rising in the late 1950’s as the Cuban exiles were relocating to America.  West Side Story, primarily a story about white attitudes towards a Latino gang in New York City, successfully portrays these prejudices and goes even further by showing the tragic results of prejudicial human thought and action.   Because of the prejudices, a romance is ripped apart and an innocent teen dies at the hands of hatred.  Therefore, the creators of West Side Story were able to show the results of prejudicial antipathy and teach acceptance in an entertaining venue.