About the film (courtesy of 20th Century Studios):
West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City.
Steven Spielberg brings a new and improved classic back to the big screen in a big way. It’s very clear from the onset that Spielberg must have been very passionate about retelling this story of forbidden love that is West Side Story. By keeping the same tone, feel and even some language that is somewhat more uncomfortable today than it was 60+ years ago when the original Broadway play and motion picture debuted. Times certainly have changed, but you wouldn’t know it based on sets, costumes, etc that are witnessed in the remake.
Starting with casting Hispanic actors to portray their character counterparts, West Side Story can be seen a continued step in addressing the claims that surface more and more in recent years of whitewashing in Hollywood. The filmmaking landscape has changed immensely in the last half-century or so as both filmmakers as well as their consumers have become more aware of past missteps. We all strive to be better people and not allow the past to define us, so I’m going to just say that I applaud the conscious efforts put forth by Warner Bros., Steven Spielberg and everyone else involved for bringing together a more aware and inclusive body of work.
West Side Story stays true to its original story and feel. Most fans of the play and original film should find many enjoyable aspects of this remake. Starting with the casting, Ansel Elgort (Tony) and Rachel Zegler (Maria) show off their on-screen chemistry from their very first scene together. Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo) and Mike Faist (Riff) bring solid supporting performances. And the inclusion of Rita Moreno (the original Anita from the 1961 film) is an extremely wonderful gesture and another example of Spielberg’s continued show of respect for the original film.
The music and choreography bring unspoken communication when words are absent. There’s no mistaking the emotional weight that West Side Story brings with it. And even in silent moments, the expressions and actions witnessed, speak volumes. And while on the topic of speaking, Steven Spielberg takes an interesting and somewhat daring approach by opting to subtitle the Spanish-speaking dialogue. And as a person that is not fluent in the language, I can attest to the fact that nothing gets lost in translation. If anything, you may be more focused on the body language of what is being conveyed. So, it’s not a production glitch or anything like that. This is what he envisioned.
Even though West Side Story takes place in 1957, this story does not feel dated one bit. Everything about it is relevant today and even if you know the plot like the back of your hand, it’s still enjoyable to watch with an updated cast. I would add that even though this is only rated PG-13, there is a decent amount of mature content and language, so you might want to think twice before bringing your littles to see this one. Clocking in at just over two and a half hours, get comfortable because unlike a Broadway play, there’s no intermissions in this feature. You can see this exclusively in theaters starting Friday, December 10th with early showings Thursday evening.
