Some people simply can not open up their hearts and heads to a movie musical, or any musical for that matter. People can not get over the fact that they might be forced to suspend their disbelief enough to allow people to suddenly explode into song and dance mid action. For the rest of us, with a bit of a song in our hearts there is a wealth of quality cinema, most of it from the 50′s, that allows us to engage with an emotional story and leave with something fun to hum as well.
The ultimate movie musical and possibly the ultimate musical in general is probably West Side Story, an Oscar winner for Best Picture and a perpetual favorite of the American Film Institute. The film is a tour de force with a colossal cast, mind blowing choreography and a song score that is better than almost any in the medium’s history. If you are a musical skeptic it is the one musical you should watch.
Festival of Films a site for watching free movies online has also posted some clips from this undeniable classic. Dance numbers that will have you rethinking all of those “impromptu” choreographed funny videos online. Maybe they are not so original after all?
