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| West Side Story |
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Genre:Musical
Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review®
Stars:
Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris |
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 DVD General Information |
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| (Studio/Distributor): |
MGM Home Entertainment |
| (Catalog Number): |
ML107087 |
| (MPAA Rating): |
Not Rated |
| (Retail Price): |
$49.98 |
| (Running Time In Minutes): |
151 |
| (Color Type): |
Color |
| (Chaptered/Scene Access): |
Yes |
| (Closed Captioned): |
Yes |
| (Theatrical Release): |
1961 |
| (LD Release Date): |
10/98 |
| (THX® Digitally Mastered): |
No |
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| Credits Information |
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| (Director): |
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins |
| (Screenplay/Written By): |
Ernest Lehman |
| (Story): |
NA |
| (Music): |
Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim |
| (Director Of Photography): |
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| (Production Designer): |
Boris Leven |
| (Visual Effects): |
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| (Costume Designer): |
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| (Editor): |
Thomas Stanford |
| (Supervising Sound Editors): |
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| (Re-Recording Mixers): |
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| (Executive Producers): |
NA |
| (Co-Producers): |
NA |
| (Producers): |
NA |
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| DVD Picture Information |
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| (Principal Photography): |
Super Panavision 70 |
| (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): |
2.20:1 |
| (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): |
2.20:1 |
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| DVD Sound Information |
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| (DVD Soundtrack): |
Dolby Digital Surround |
| (Theatrical Sound): |
Mag Stereo & 70mm 6 Track Mag Stereo |
| (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack): |
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| (Remastered Dolby Digital): |
Yes |
| (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): |
No |
| (Additional Languages): |
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| WSR Narrative Review |
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Story Synopsis:
Winner of 10 Academy Awards®, West Side Story is one of the true gems of movie musicals. Tony and Maria are the Romeo and Juliet of New York City in the 1950s. A rivalry forms between two gangs—the Sharks and the Jets—with Tony and Maria caught in the middle. Based on the stage play by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince.
LaserDisc Picture:
The LaserDisc is framed precisely at 2.20:1, and exhibits generally sharp and detailed images. Colors are rich but dated and appear at times slightly oversaturated with brownish-orange fleshtones and deep, though undefined blacks. Noise and artifacts are apparent. Though mediocre in image quality, the picture will surely please fans of this wonderful classic musical.
LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The Dolby® Digital 5.1 and matrix PCM soundtracks are enjoyable though fidelity on both is dated. The Dolby Digital version sounds much thinner, and background hiss is prominent throughout, compared to the matrix. The music score is fabulous and enchanting, and projects a more spatially dimensional soundstage on the discrete. The dialogue on both is a bit strident; and the Dolby Digital version which, like the original theatrical version, is directional, but problematic and distorted at times. Surround is prominently music and monaural on both versions. The discrete mixes some bass to the .1 LFE channel for added punch which at times is effective. Considering that this is a 1961 musical, there is plenty of unforgettable enjoyment.
| (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): |
Yes |
| (Aggressive System Surround): |
Yes |
| (Intense 25Hz Bass): |
No |
| (Deep Bass Challenging): |
No |
| (Aggressive 0.1 LFE): |
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| (Holosonic Soundfield): |
Yes |
| (Aggressive Split Surround): |
No |
| (Center Back Surround Imaging): |
No |
| (Directionalized Dialogue): |
Yes |
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality: |
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Superb Music Score Recording Quality: |
Yes |
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality: |
No |
Superb Color Fidelity: |
No |
Superb Cinematography: |
Yes |
Reference LaserDisc: |
No |
Collector Edition: |
No |
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
The LaserDisc is framed precisely at 2.20:1, as is the anamorphic and letterbox DVD. The dual-layered anamorphic DVD, when viewed in component video and compared to the LaserDisc, exhibits improved sharpness and detail, with increased vertical and horizontal resolution. The DVD is also much more solid. Colors are rich but dated and, on the LaserDisc, appear at times slightly oversaturated with brownish-orange fleshtones and deep, though undefined blacks. The DVD picture exhibits better clarity, contrast and shadow delineation. This new LaserDisc rendering is superior to the previous MGM LaserDisc (ML102175) and the preceding supplemental-rich Criterion CAV (CC1178L) boxed edition (neither reviewed). Noise and artifacts are apparent on both versions. Both the DVD and LaserDisc Dolby® Digital 5.1 soundtracks and the LaserDisc matrix PCM soundtrack are enjoyable though fidelity on both is dated. The Dolby Digital version sounds much thinner, and background hiss is prominent throughout, compared to the matrix. The music score is fabulous and enchanting, and projects a more spatially dimensional soundstage on the discrete. The dialogue on both is a bit strident; and the Dolby Digital version which, like the original theatrical version, is directional, but problematic and distorted at times. Surround is prominently music and monaural on both versions. The discrete mixes some bass to the .1 LFE channel for added punch which at times is effective. Considering that this is a 1961 musical, there is plenty of unforgettable enjoyment.
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