it's right outside the door
A couple questions linger as I complete my week with West Side Story . The first: why did Saul Bass give us such a static opening image? Sure it changes color, but as far as movement goes, it's got nothing on Anatomy of a Murder , The Man with the Golden Gun , Psycho , Spartacus , Vertigo , North by Northwest ... and more. Bass usually goes for something more... interesting. I read that he was also responsible for the aerial shots that take us from that overview of Manhattan into the smaller zones, until we get to the West Side and the playground and the Jets. But, that slow movement doesn't make up for the static image of Manhattan. His end credits are nice, putting the credits onto walls and signs. Between that and the aerial shots, he certainly evokes a specific time and place. But, I can't help but feel a little disappointed that the initial shot is so static but for the color. The second: Why are there rows of doors around the neighborhood? Here, strewn in a...