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West Side Story (2021)
(20th Century Studios)
By Lucas Allen
A contemporary take on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” the 1957 Broadway musical “West Side Story” became a greater phenomenon when it was adapted for the silver screen in 1961. The film version took home 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, while its soundtrack spawned three top 10 hits. Sixty years later, the story is brought back to the screen courtesy of legendary director Steven Spielberg directing a musical for the very first time in his long-standing career. The music retains the legendary music of Leonard Bernstein, but has new choreography.
In the slums of late 1950s New York City, two rival street gangs fight for territory supremacy. The White gang, the Jets, led by Riff (Mike Faist) are causing escalation against the Puerto Rican Sharks led by Bernardo (David Alvarez) with police Lt. Schrank (Corey Stoll) and Officer Krupke (Brian d’Arcy James) hot on their trail. Meanwhile, ex-Jet member Tony (Ansel Elgort) is fresh out of prison and works at a convenience store run by the kindly Valentina (Oscar winner Rita Moreno, who was Anita in the 1961 version). At a dance party, he catches the eye of young Maria (Rachel Ziegler) and the two fall madly in love instantly. Unfortunately, Maria happens to be Bernardo’s sister and gives it an opportunity for the gangs to want to start a rumble.
As the following night nears, both Tony and Maria are committed to their relationship despite warnings from both Bernardo and his girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose). Maria wants Tony to stop the rumble before it’s too late. But Riff and the Jets are planning to take it up a notch by bringing a handgun to the proceedings. When the night of the rumble finally comes, these gangs will certainly fight to the bitter end.
Basically, Spielberg proves he can direct a musical. He certainly has that keen eye for action and character drama he uses in many memorable movies he has directed that he also finds a way to use on the musical numbers. The dance choreography looks amazing on screen as well as the staging of the sets themselves. But while the cinematography has that modern gritty look, you can swap it out with brighter colors and the musical sequences can have that old-style, classic Technicolor feel.
The story is pretty much the same, with the movie further using elements from “Romeo and Juliet” to emphasize the tragic love story. A lot of joy and splendor can be found in most of the movie up until the last half hour, when things get dark. In fact, the grim ending is a stark contrast to the earlier happy-go-lucky moments that without a proper epilogue, you leave the movie shaken and shocked.
Also, while the first 66 perent of the film had a consistent tone, the transition of the last part is highly questionable. First, there’s the rumble scene, then it cuts to the “I Feel Pretty” number, and then the film goes back to the sadness. It could’ve worked more fluidly if they put that number somewhere before that climax.
The young cast bring vibrance to their musical performances. Ziegler is the year’s biggest revelation, delivering some stellar acting with her operatic singing voice. Elgort is fine in his lead role, but his dancing and singing skills surprisingly surpassed that. The combination of DeBose, Alvarez, and Faist also achieves the youthful and spiciness to the musical numbers. Lastly, having the legendary Moreno returning from the 1961 original in a new role helped to bridge the 60-year gap.
Remaking old Hollywood classics can be a tricky thing to pull off, but Spielberg managed to make the new West Side Story be its own movie. His imprint helps to make it for the most part a very joyous experience. Just don’t go in expecting a happy ending, but let the music win you over.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material, and brief smoking)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
