"West Side Story" is adapted from Shakespeare's famous play "Romeo and Juliet". The story is moved to the West Side slums of Manhattan, New York. It is a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. Excellent screenwriting, choreography, and production of music lyrics have made the artistic expression of the entire film reach a new height. Bernstein seamlessly combined American jazz with European symphony. It's not that song and dance serve as an embellishment for the plot, or the plot serves the song and dance. The music, dance, and plot are integrated in the movie. In layman's terms, it makes people feel natural and comfortable. In addition to singing and dancing, the film has serious practical significance, reflecting some real problems in American society in the 1950s and 1960s, including racial discrimination, juvenile delinquency, gangs, and so on. Therefore, the ten Oscars are not only due to the artistic expression of the film, but also to the multiple connotative themes conveyed by the film.
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