West Side Story (70mm)

"The best film musical ever made." – Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic

"West Side Story remains a landmark of musical history." – Roger Ebert

Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ cinematic landmark brings Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Manhattan’s West Side as María (Natalie Wood) and Tony (Richard Beymer) fall in love in spite of the racially driven gang warfare that threatens the peace in their neighborhood. West Side Story won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, the most for any musical. The real star of the show, though, is Leonard Bernstein’s glorious score. From “Maria” to “Tonight” to “America” to “Somewhere,” West Side Story features one unforgettable tune after another (not to mention song lyrics by a twentysomething Stephen Sondheim). It remains an almost unrivaled big-screen experience, especially in glorious 70mm!

This screening of West Side Story is made possible by a grant from the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

Coral Gables Art Cinema is the only art cinema in the southeastern United States equipped to screen films in 70mm, the high-resolution format that became synonymous with the medium's epics and films of exceptional visual grandeur. To see a film projected in this format is to see them in their full splendor, with pristine image and detailed sound. New screenings are added throughout the year.

About 70mm

70mm film projection is a process of projecting movies onto a big screen using a film print that is 70mm wide, which is about twice the size of regular 35mm film. This wider film format allows for a much greater amount of detail and image quality to be captured and displayed on screen, resulting in a more immersive and visually stunning cinematic experience.

Compared to digital projection, 70mm film projection has several benefits. One of the key benefits is that film prints can reproduce a wider range of colors and shades than digital projection, which can result in more vibrant and lifelike images. Additionally, film prints have a higher resolution than most digital projectors, which means that the images are sharper and more detailed. Film prints are also less prone to issues like pixelation or compression artifacts that can sometimes occur with digital projection.

70mm film projection can also capture a wider aspect ratio than most digital projection formats, which allows for more of the image to be visible on the screen. This wider aspect ratio is especially noticeable in epic movies that feature large landscapes or action sequences.

Overall, 70mm film projection provides a unique and high-quality cinematic experience that is unmatched by digital projection. While digital projection has become the industry standard in recent years, many cinephiles and filmmakers still appreciate the richness and depth that can be achieved using film prints.

Check out the rest of our See It In 70mm program!