WASHINGTON — In the eternal battle of the Sharks & Jets, a hierarchy forms.
So let鈥檚 begin the official Jet/Shark Power Rankings by recognizing that the early 1960s was not the best time for Hispanic character development on film. Thus, outside of the leads with basic plot functions (Tony, Bernardo, Riff & Chino), most of the memories that stick with you from “West Side Story” are weighted more toward the Jets than the Sharks. They even have 鈥淐ool鈥� and 鈥淥fficer Krupke,鈥� while the Sharks have to share 鈥淎merica鈥� with Anita — nobody upstages Rita Moreno.
In addition, the transfer from stage to screen robbed the Sharks of distinctive names 鈥淎nxious鈥� and 鈥淣ibbles,”聽replacing them with 鈥淩occo鈥� and 鈥淒el Campo.”聽A Sharks gang with Anxious and Nibbles is far more interesting. Be that as it may, it’s time for the (unofficial) Sharks & Jets power rankings.
Didn’t Make the Cut.聽We begin by separating the chaff from the wheat.聽With apologies to Snow Boy, Tiger, Joy Boy, Big Deal, Mouthpiece, Juano, Loco, Rocco, Luis, Toro, Del Campo and Chile, none of you really register in the big picture. You were brought into the Jets and Sharks as junior associates to fill out聽the lower-level tasks and provide depth in chorus and dance sequences. Gang warfare in New York can鈥檛 exist without you. But you have no business being anywhere near the top ten.
Dishonorable Mention: Baby John.聽This is the clown who incites this whole thing by painting 鈥淪harks stink.”聽He gets caught (big surprise) and beaten to a pulp by the Sharks, only to set the bar low throughout the film as the 鈥渘ot ready for prime time Jet.鈥� Couldn鈥檛 there be a 鈥淛unior Jets鈥� to join?
10. Tony. Lukewarm Tony聽helped start the Jets and then wants nothing to do with it — until he intrudes on the war council. Then he elects to interfere in the fair fight, helping things escalate to the point where two people die. And he sang聽鈥淪omething鈥檚 Coming鈥� early on? Something indeed鈥�
9.听础-搁补产. Look closely. How did Neil Patrick Harris time travel back to 1961 to appear in a movie musical? And if you were to time travel, wouldn鈥檛 you go for at least the second lead?
8. Indio. Also known as the funny one in the script, Indio holds his own as a dancer in Bernardo鈥檚 crew, which is no small feat. He is also the one shouting for Bernardo to run after Riff鈥檚 stabbing.
7. Action. Way too much bluster. We get it, you鈥檝e been drinking coffee for the last four hours and need to blow off steam. But you鈥檙e 5-foot-3. Are you supposed to be threatening in any way? Bonus points for a sense of humor, shown when he played the psychologist in 鈥淥fficer Krupke.”
6. Chino. Devoted and polite in a rough world. He鈥檚 the one — not Anita or Maria鈥檚 parents — who has to break the news of Bernardo鈥檚 death to his sister. He sets goals and reaches them, even if that goal was to kill Tony. Twenty-five years in Sing Sing hopefully will help.
5. Anybody鈥檚.聽Tough to be a tom-boy in ’61. The girl who聽joins the Jets doesn鈥檛 have the necessary Y chromosome but still manages to almost save the day by finding Tony. She created a role for herself by聽sneaking around the shadows,聽earning the respect of interim leader Ice. You done right, buddy boy.
4. Bernardo. The guy came a long way from the youth who got jumped his first day in New York. Building a gang from scratch in a competitive landscape is no easy task. He recognizes the disadvantages his crew faces and has built the Sharks into a worthy rival. The guy can also dance up a freaking storm, and if you can keep Anita (Rita Moreno) happy, you鈥檙e definitely bringing the goods.
3. Riff. Engaging and charming even though he leads a group of hoodlums. The guy鈥檚 smile makes you want to sign up immediately. He knows the Jet heritage full well. Riff might not be the best dancer, but all of his flipping around counts for something. And he鈥檚 loyal to a fault to a Tony who doesn鈥檛 even want to be in the gang anymore. That loyalty would prove to be his undoing.
2. Pepe. Bernardo鈥檚 cool lieutenant. He鈥檚 the first one to join the Sharks. Pepe knows that taking the rumble to the river is a potential strategic disaster. He also knows to chime in at the just the right moment during the America sequence (鈥淵ou came with your mouth open鈥�). Pepe dreams of returning to San Juan in a Cadillac. I鈥檓 confident he did鈥�
1. Ice. He鈥檚 the Jets’ best fighter. He鈥檚 Riff鈥檚 silent second in command聽—聽and knows not to agree to a rumble at the park. More than just fists, Ice is cool. He also聽knows the only way they鈥檙e going to get through this bloodshed is to “be cool.” Not to mention, Ice is the only one with the foresight to recognize Anybody鈥檚 ability to sneak between the shadows. We鈥檒l be in back of you, boy鈥�
