I’ve not seen the much-loved original West Side Story, which is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Here you’ll meet Tony (Ansel Elgort) who shares a dance with Maria (Rachel Zegler).
Their sudden love life sparks a fight between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.
The film is set in the mid-1950s and feels authentic. The sets are a visual feast and the script hasn’t been modernised. There are large sections of the film where only Spanish is spoken, but with no subtitles, it’s sometimes frustrating to know what is going on. Perhaps this was an attempt at how it can be to live in a foreign country.
The dancing is exceptional. You’ll hear all of your favourite songs. But I found some of the musical numbers annoying with too much percussion and trombones.
The storyline is filled with holes and I can’t connect with the characters. It’s a whirlwind of a romance that only teenagers could indulge in. I’m just not sure why certain scenes happen when they do – it’s a fantasy world on warped speed.
Did you know Rita Moreno, a star of the original “West Side Story,” returns in a new role as Valentina, the owner of Doc’s Drugstore?
West Side Story is going to be a crowd-favourite with the older generations and anyone who loves a good sing-along musical. I’m sure it will take home lots of awards. It just wasn’t for me.
“This film is probably the most daunting of my career,” Steven Spielberg says. “It’s very intimidating to take a masterpiece and make it through different eyes and different sensibilities without compromising the integrity of what is generally considered the greatest music ever written for the theatre. But I believe that great stories should be told over and over again, in part to reflect different perspectives and moments in time.”
About West Side Story
Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke) and Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno – one of only three artists to be honoured with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.
Image Credit: Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ansel Elgort as Tony in 20th Century Studios’ WEST SIDE STORY. Photo by Niko Tavernise. © 2021 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Leave a Reply