Released in 1961.
A fight set to music between an American gang, the Jets, and a rival gang, the Sharks, who have moved into the Jets’ territory from Puerto Rico. Riff declares that they will end the conflict on their terms by challenging the Sharks to one last all out fight, or “rumble”. They deliver the challenge to the Sharks at the dance being held that night at the local gym, which is considered neutral territory. In the midst of all the excitement, Tony, the co-founder of the Jets, and Maria, Bernardo’s sister, see each other, and immediately fall in love. They begin to dance, but are interrupted by Bernardo, who angrily orders Maria home, and tells Tony to stay away from his sister. Tony visits Maria at her tenement block, mirroring the balcony scene in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and they confirm their love. The same night, after the dance, the Jets and Sharks meet to decide where their planned rumble will take place. Tony bursts in while the Jets and Sharks are in conference, and demands that they have a fair fist fight instead of a rumble. Maria demands that Tony stop the fight altogether, but before Tony leaves, they pretend that the bridal clothes in the shop are for them, and imagine their engagement and wedding. The Jets and Sharks are ready in case the fight becomes a rumble after all, Tony and Maria are looking forward to seeing each other that night, and Anita is getting ready for her date with Bernardo. The fight, which is between Bernardo and Ice, Riff’s second in command, is about to begin when Tony appears. When Tony tries to stop the fight, Bernardo attacks him. In the midst of the fight, Bernardo kills Riff. Before the stunned members of both gangs can react, Tony, enraged at the murder of his best friend, picks up Riff’s blade and stabs Bernardo, killing him instantly. This sets off a free-for-all amidst the gang members.Blissfully unaware of what has happened, Maria is waiting for Tony on the tenement roof when the Shark Chino, who loves her, appears and tells her Tony killed her brother. Tony arrives as Maria prays that Bernardo is not dead; realizing that it’s true, Maria lashes out at Tony, who can only tell her what happened, and asks her to forgive him before he goes to the police. Maria finds that in spite of everything, she still loves Tony and begs him to stay with her. Ice has taken over as leader of the Jets. Back at the flat when Anita arrives, Maria and Tony make whispered arrangements to meet at Doc’s and run away together. Anita comes in, sees Tony running away and chides Maria for loving him. She sends Anita to Doc’s on the pretense that she is sending her to fetch a medicine for her headache, but her real purpose is to tell Tony, who is hiding at Doc’s, that Maria is detained from meeting him. But when Anita enters Doc’s, the Jets maul her, simulating a gang rape. In black anger, Anita delivers the wrong message — she says Maria is dead, shot by Chino for loving Tony. Wandering onto the playground, he sees Maria, at first thinking that it is only in his mind, then realizing it really is her, but as they run towards each other, Chino appears out of nowhere and shoots Tony. Tony dies in her arms. Maria takes the gun from Chino and accuses everybody in sight of the deaths of Tony, Bernardo, and Riff.When the gang members arrive to see Tony dead, some of the Jets lift him, and the Sharks join them, while Chino is taken away by the police. As in Romeo and Juliet, tragedy has brought the feuding between the two gangs to an end.
