“West Side Story” Review
Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort star in “West Side Story” as the star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic 1961 film.
With the recent passing of Stephen Sondheim, I have begun reexamining his past work of musical theater with shows like “Company,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “Into The Woods.” What else can I say? He’s a genius who will be missed fondly by both fans of theater and fans of the films based on his work.
But while many films have adapted his work, the best known and most beloved is easily 1961’s “West Side Story,” which won 10 Academy Awards. While Sondheim only wrote the lyrics to this masterpiece of both Broadway and film (the music being written by Leonard Bernstein), his genius is plastered all over it alongside the hard work of the actors, co-director Robert Wise and choreographer and co-director Jerome Robbins (who directed the original Broadway show). This film is one of the greatest films of all time and there was no topping it. Until now.
While I can imagine some people questioning why “West Side Story” needed to be remade, Steven Spielberg’s take on this story is not only one of the greatest films of the year and not only his best film since 2012’s “Lincoln,” but it manages to be better than the original film. With a marvelous cast, beautiful musical sequences and a story that is more faithful to the original show while also standing on its own, “West Side Story” is a delightful film that needs to be experienced on the big screen.
Set in 1950s New York City, two gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks, are constantly fighting for control of their territory with the Jets being led by Riff (Mike Faist) and the Sharks being led by Bernardo (David Alvarez). When former Jet Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Bernardo’s sister Maria (Rachel Zegler) fall in love, they try to convince their sides not to fight so that they can be together.
Whether you’ve seen the original film or not, this film feels fresh. It doesn’t feel like a cash-grab remake. There’s a clear reason why Spielberg chose to remake this film.
The musical sequences of “West Side Story” are vibrant and exciting, especially America where Ariana DeBose (Center) and David Alvarez (Right) dance as Anita and Bernardo.
While the original performances are iconic, I never thought of them as definitive. I never thought to myself “only Natalie Wood can be Maria” (for starters Wood wasn’t Latino). So, these new performances are wonderful and manage to stand apart from the cast of the 1961 film. Ansel Elgort is a fantastic Tony and manages to come across as both sensitive and intimidating at times. Rachel Zegler makes her film debut as Maria and she is absolutely magnetic. Her voice is amazing and I was on the verge of tears when she sang “Tonight.”
The roles of Riff, Bernado and Anita are all impeccably cast and Mike Faist, David Alvarez and Ariana DeBose are on point. Faist, in particular, has this real anger in him that was powerful to watch on screen. Alvarez and DeBose had big shoes to step into since George Chakaris and Rita Moreno’s original performances won them Oscars, but they do such a good job. Their dancing in “America” was one of the highlights of the film and they had such chemistry together.
Fans of the original will also be pleased to see Rita Moreno in this film as more than just a glorified cameo. Instead she plays Valentina, who owns the drug store and tries to keep the Jets and the Sharks from killing each other since she is Puerto Rican but married a white man. She’s the one character everyone likes and her performance is fantastic, particularly when she sings “Somewhere.”
As director, Steven Spielberg approaches the musical genre with a flair that rivals any classic musical from “The Sound of Music” to “Singin’ In the Rain.” Spielberg grew up with the musical as a child and that love clearly shines through. Everything about this film screams Old Hollywood with gigantic sets and vibrant colors.
But Spielberg also brings his New Hollywood tendencies to this film and it’s all for the better. While the cinematography of the original is wonderful, the lighter camera equipment of today allows for more sweeping shots and more camera movement. But Spielberg and director of photography Janusz Kaminski never sacrifice quality. Every glorious shot is captured on 35mm film and it looks amazing.
Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in the original film, stars in “West Side Story” as Valentina who owns the drug store.
As much as I and other film fanatics like to make fun of Spielberg’s use of lens flares, it does look fantastic, especially in “West Side Story.” From the sunsets over New York City to the vibrant colors of the costumes and sets, you could have this be a silent film and I’d still be watching.
Alongside “Minari,” “Nomadland” and “The Last Duel,” this is one of the best looking films of the year. When you can take just a single frame of this film and hang it in a museum, that’s the sign of a beautiful film.
The musical sequences are incredible and, while choreographer Justin Peck chose not to emulate Jerome Robbins’ original dances, the dancing is absolutely wonderful. With all sorts of influences (classic Broadway, mambo, jazz and ballet), Peck molds these together to create fast paced sequences that awed me with wonder. Spielberg also takes advantage of his editors, Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar, by having many of the musical sequences go from location to location.
So, instead of having “America” be performed on a rooftop, it starts in an apartment building and explodes onto the streets for a heart-stopping dance. The opening prologue is also a lot better with a much more brutal fight. In fact, the entire film is more realistic and brutal. It’s still full of the beauty and wonder of the original but when someone gets stabbed, it's much more impactful than in the original.
Steven Spielberg’s direction results in one of the best films of his fruitful career.
Spielberg also has the Puerto Rican characters speak much more Spanish in this film than in the original and he chose not to subtitle it which I absolutely respect and admire. He did this so that neither language had dominance over the other. The English isn’t subtitled to why should the Spanish, especially since half the cast are white and half are Latino. Not only is it more powerful to hear characters speak in their own language, but you understand what they are saying even if you don’t speak the language. You understand through their emotions and their body language. While most of the film is still told in English, this is a change that improves upon the original.
“West Side Story” is so much more than a remake. It is a brilliant musical in its own right and I can’t believe that, after such a long career, this is only the first time Spielberg has made a musical film. It has something for everyone. It’s style appeals to older generations but the characters and realism appeal to younger viewers.
The film, like the original, also displays the evils of racism, gentrification and xenophobia which, given the state of our nation today, is all the more important. “West Side Story” surpasses the original but also gifts this iconic story for a new generation. My only regret with this film is that Sondheim is not alive to see it’s brilliance.
