8. Anita - West Side Story
Although Maria is normally the one who gets the attention in West Side Story (after all, she is the character that stands in for Juliet in this Romeo and Juliet adaptation), Anita is the real star of the production. Maria is one-note and uninteresting -- she falls in love with a boy, she turns her back on everyone she cares about, and that's pretty much it. Anita is a much more vibrant and complicated character throughout the film. We see the love that she has for Bernardo, despite the fact that they spend most of their time fighting. She's also reluctantly supportive of Maria's desire to be with Tony, and even after he's responsible for her boyfriend's death, she can see past her anger and grief to try to help the pair. Her spirit fills every inch of the screen, and more than makes up for the blandness between Maria and Tony. Although some people might see Anita as a problematic fiery Latina stereotype, there's a great deal of inner strength in her character. More importantly, she defies the Madonna/whore dichotomy that the film tries to set up by showing that, although her character is framed by her sexuality, she's much more than just feisty and sensual. Anita's a great friend, a loving girlfriend, and overall a morally upright character, which for the late 1950s is pretty progressive.