“West Side Story” wows with modern cinematography
Upper West Side Manhattan, an area bulldozed and in rubble, the Jets prowl across New York, stopping every so often to dance. They begin defacing a Puerto Rican flag, and this is where the trouble begins. The Sharks are not happy and a fight breaks out between the two gangs.
Steven Spielberg’s 2021 take on “West Side Story” has all the best parts of the original 1961 film. The movies are nearly identical, but the element of new-age cinematography adds a dynamic that gives the movie an edge.
Contrary to the original, however, this newer version showcases people who are actually of Latin American descent to play the roles of the Puerto Ricans. In the original, a majority of the Puerto Ricans were played by tan white people, which passed as okay in 1961, but definitely wouldn’t slide nowadays.
The cast includes Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ansel Elgort as Tony, and Mike Faist as Riff. Additionally, Rita Moreno, who was Anita in the original 1961 movie, plays the role of Valentina. Her character, Valentina, was not in the original; instead, she is a female adaptation of Doc, which is a great way to pay homage to the original.
The movie portrays a Shakespearean take on a classic 60s gang rivalry. The Jets are a gang of native New Yorkers led by Riff, and the Sharks are a gang of Puerto Rican immigrants. The Jets are not happy to be sharing the city, and they don’t think that the Sharks belong.
One night, both gangs are at a dance and tensions are high. Maria, the little sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks, locks eyes with Tony, a former Jet who is fresh out of prison. They sneak behind the bleachers to dance, until they are caught by Bernardo and his girlfriend Anita, who is a close friend of Maria’s.
Both gangs are enraged at the thought of Tony and Maria dating, Bernardo more than most. The Jets and the Sharks organize a rumble to settle their dispute once and for all.
However, the couple doesn’t listen to the complaints of their friends, and Tony and Maria fall in love over the course of days, without the others finding out.
Keeping the essence of a classic romance with a tragic ending, the 2021 adaptation of “West Side Story” is extremely similar to the original, yet it helps add to the movie in ways that were absolutely necessary to make the movie truly excellent.
I love the original 1961 “West Side Story” (mostly bc Stephen Sondheim is a god of a composer), but I have yet to watch this remake. It’s great though how they brought Rita Moreno in to be part of this adaption, not only as an actress but also as the executive producer. I know that in the original, Moreno was the only actual Puerto Rican in the move and the rest of the Sharks were white guys in brownface. It’s cool how in this 2021 version there’s actual people of color who play people of color. Anyways, I’m excited to see this film and curious to see how much of the music and the filming is similar to the original.
I watched “West Side Story” a week after it came out, and was absolutely amazed. I particularly enjoyed the choreography and costume design: I thought it was cool how all of the New Yorkers were dressed in cool colors, whereas the Puerto Ricans were dressed in warm. I definitely recommend watching this adaptation.