Natalie Wood film reviews: This Property Is Condemned and West Side Story

Reviews examine two notable films featuring actress Natalie Wood.

'This Property Is Condemned' (1966), directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Francis Ford Coppola based on a Tennessee Williams work, is set in a Mississippi railroad town during the Great Depression. The film follows the romance between Alva, played by Wood, and railway inspector Owen Legate, played by Robert Redford. While the chemistry between the leads is noted, the film's frame narrative structure is criticized for being overly nostalgic.

'West Side Story' (1961), directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, is highlighted for its integrated approach to the musical genre. Featuring Wood, the film adapts Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' to explore tensions between white ethnic youths and Puerto Rican immigrants. The production is noted for its seamless blend of music, acting, and choreography, utilizing Leonard Bernstein's score and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics to drive the narrative.