West Side Story

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source: West Side Story

I have not seen the original West Side Story, but I had a blast with this remake. April burg is still one of the best directors working today and this movie proves that with nearly every shot. The acting and dancing is out of this world and the story kept me invested like the whole time. Really great stuff.

Remakes are often letdowns, but this is an exception. Not that the original was bad, it wasn't, or that this deviated significantly, it didn't, but where it did, it was better. After seeing this version in the theater, I rewatched the original for comparison. Aside from one secondary character change and a few scene tweaks, the 2021 version is almost identical to the 1961 version. However, this one takes more definitive steps to place the setting in the mid-1950s, based on the autos and cultural references, as was the case in the book. A viewer of the '61 version could easily conclude it was taking place that year. There is also far more Spanish spoken by the Puerto Ricans. Some complain the movie needed subtitles, but in truth, there is enough "Spanglish" or English interjected in the conversation that a non-Spanish speaker could still get the gist of what was being said. Natalie Wood was a great actress but Rachel Zegler's accent was far less contrived. Finally, there was a slight relaxation of sexual mores. One thing that didn't change was amount ethnic grievance. It is a major theme of the story, but I worried the modern version might hype it even more to match contemporary trends. However, if one watches the original it was just as present, presumably to an audience that would have been far less receptive. It's unfortunate that it hasn't been more successful at the box office. I'd hate for Hollywood to conclude the only thing the viewers want is superhero films!

The 1961 Version was one of the finest movies ever assembled and holds to this day as a must-see experience for a multitude of reasons. Now, thanks to Spielberg, this version can join it making a pair of engaging and entertaining movies to take their place in movie history. Top notch acting, singing and Directing delivers as the viewer is totally engulfed from start to finish. The words are clear and precise when spoken/sung and the dance moves near perfect! The Spanish speak by the Sharks/Puerto Ricans makes the film more natural and easier to accept as it supports the whole premise of the film i.e., two people coming together in love from different backgrounds. The songs are a delight and there are parts in this movie where butterflies visit the stomach and tears flow freely. All the actors are off to promising careers to be sure and will proud of this work in their resumes. Consider that they had to find people who can dance and sing and then act no easy feat that is why the Director gets a special kudo. He made it happen and one senses nothing but a roaring good time on the sets as they practiced of course with a lot of hard work. The supporting actors while impressive are not known intimately but as a part of the whole are still memorable. It all works well. Recommend theater showing for big screen memories and quality sounds. Bring your favorite drink, a tasty snack and a sandwich as it is a long worthy movie. Well done all! Enjoy your success!

Full disclosure, I was and am a HUGE fan of the 1961 WEST SIDE STORY. I know it's every detail, every word of every lyric, every emotional cue. Rita Moreno was the iconic Rita. So, I went to see this new Spielberg directed, Moreno produced, 2021 version with more curiosity than expectation. Not forgetting that WEST SIDE STORY was inspired by Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, the general structure of the movies is the same yet contemporary and musical. The 2021 version is grittier. The context of the drama is more developed, setting it in a disappearing New York neighbourhood, which makes the rivalry of the street gangs more a matter of life and death that either the play or the first movie. Rita Moreno is very much celebrated in this new film, with a newly created character and a reallocation of a song. Two musical numbers in the 2021 version paled when compared to the 1961: (1) the dance at the gym didn't have the battle fever of the original (probably solely due to the incomparable Rita Moreno in 1961) and by moving Tony and Maria's first meeting from the actual dance to behind the bleachers it lost the transcendent quality of their love at first sight; and (2) Maria's "I Feel Pretty" scene being moved from a Dress Shop (where the girls worked) to a department store (where they were but a small part of a cleaning crew), despite the clever use of store displays, changed the context from dreaming of a wedding to dreaming of blending into Americana. I also felt that 2021 suffered from the loss of (a) priest, which stripped away marriage vows in a church for promises in a museum (??), and (b) the the loss of the potion separated the lovers and the tragic death of love at the end. HOWEVER, ALL COMPARISONS OR DISAPPOINTMENTS EVAPORATED when Rachel Zegler's soaring soprano lifted Maria's first note. It was so beautiful I had to remind myself to breath. Her duets with Amsel Elgort were transporting. What would have been a rating of 7 (good) was made 9 (superb) by Zegler's performance, making this a must see film. {Musical Drama}

I was not prepared for how much this new version of "West Side Story" would affect me. I've seen the original Robert Wise version a billion times, and I've seen the musical performed on stage as well. In both, I thought the Maria/Tony storyline was actually pretty boring, mostly because they're boring characters. They're just there to anchor the more colorful story that takes place around them, with the gang rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets giving the show all of its best songs and dances. So the biggest surprise to me with this new version is how vested I felt in what happened to Maria and Tony, and how much I wanted to see them be together even while knowing they wouldn't be. Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort have off the charts chemistry together, and their version of "Tonight" was so thrilling it was like hearing the song for the first time. The original version of "West Side Story" was an imbalanced affair, with Rita Moreno and George Chakiris stealing the show out from everyone around them. Ariana DeBose doesn't exactly steal the show, but man does she admirably fill the daunting shoes left behind by Moreno. But this version's biggest revelation is Mike Faist in the role of Riff. Anita is such a dynamic part that it's easy to shine in it, but Faist finds depths in the character of Riff that I never would have guessed were there based on any previous incarnation of the material. I wasn't sure how an antiquated musical set in the 1950s about gang members who dance rather than shoot each other could possibly feel anything other than dated in today's world, but this movie has a right place/right time feel to it. Themes of gentrification, racial hatred, gun violence, and a generation of kids being raised by crappy parents pretty much still applies as much to the world we live in now as it did the world of the 1950s. This is a soaring, gorgeous, cinematic updating of a well worn property that manages to stay very faithful to its roots while justifying its being remade. Grade: A+

Gorgeous movie! That opening shot was amazing! As were the costumes, the props, and the settings! I can't get over how great this movie was! Four days later, and I'm still humming the tunes! Bravo!