The musical is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with memorable twists of unrequited love of Maria and Tony caught in a gang war of two juvenile groups, the Jets and the Sharks whom both are vying to get control of the Upper West Side of New York City.
With the amazing musical numbers, talented executions of the actors and actresses, and the outstanding editing of the film, West Story is proclaimed as the second highest-grossing film in 1961 bagging 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and a whole lot more.
Because of its cultural and historical significance, it has been a subject of reference to other musicals, and music videos, and even inspired Stevin Spielberg for a modern remake of the film which was just released in 2021.
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