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| Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in "West Side Story" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
In 1961, directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins gave moviegoers one of the most iconic films of all time with “West Side Story,” an adaptation of Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurentis’ 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which itself was a retelling of “Romeo and Juliet.” Through passionate performances, soulful singing, and energetic dance sequences, this is a movie that has remained in the hearts of viewers, both old and young, and it helped set the standard for movie musicals that would arrive over the course of the next few decades.
This is one of those movies that one couldn’t imagine ever being given another chance for an adaptation, a movie that seemed untouchable. However, when Spielberg was brought onboard to direct a new version, that was reason enough to be cautiously optimistic. I’m beyond thrilled to say that not only has he delivered what may one of the best movies of the year, but a rare remake that’s better than the original.
In 1957, a gang of white Americans, called the Jets, and a gang of Puerto Ricans, known as the Sharks, are at odds with each other over the changing demographics of their community of San Juan Hill. When former Jet Tony (Ansel Elgort) falls in love with María (Rachel Zegler), the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo (David Alvarez), this couple will have to overcome their different backgrounds if their love will prevail.
Zegler offers a stunning, glorious breakout performance as María. Her work in this movie proves that she’s passed being a star in the making because she already is one. She portrays María as someone who intends to follow her dream and make a life for herself, and through her acting, singing, and dancing, Zegler beautifully expresses her character’s intent on embracing the possibilities that America has for her. There’s a radiance to her that acts a a wonderful introduction of Zegler to movie audiences, and with her joyousness when performing songs like “Tonight” and “I Feel Pretty,” it’s stunning what she’s able to accomplish, with this not only being her debut film role, but a role in a movie from a director as immortal as Spielberg. This is a role that Zegler was born to play, which is only appropriate because of how this movie gives birth to an actress that has a promising career ahead of her.
Ariana DeBose, who plays María’s friend Anita, proves to be more than capable of following in the footsteps of Rita Moreno, who portrayed Anita in the 1961 film. As a sisterly figure for María, DeBose exhibits the love and care that she has for her friend, always being there to give María advice and make sure she stays out of trouble. She captures the layered emotional arc that makes her character so fascinating, exhibiting a boundless energy when she sings her iconic toe-tapping tune, “America,” only to then have the bright future that she imagined come into question when she realizes the fullest extent of the animosity between the Jets and the Sharks.
While Zegler and DeBose are great together throughout the movie, the peak of their on-screen connection comes near the end. When the two have differences over which course to take following a tragic event, their duet of “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” will break your heart as tensions flare between them.
Mike Faist, who plays Jets leader Riff, does his absolute best in commanding his scenes with his unfaltering screen presence. He has the look of a classic movie star that’s perfect for this film, and the way in which he talks, emotes, and moves shows a person who inhabits his character to portray someone who’s had a rough life and only knows the streets and the friends that he’s made there. Faist gives his character a street-smart swagger that makes it near impossible to even blink whenever he’s on screen, a magnetism from which you can’t pull away your eyes, especially in the sequence where he performs the song “Cool.”
Alvarez has an energy to him that always shows that his character is ready for a fight and will do whatever’s necessary to protect the ones whom he loves. Whenever you see Bernardo, he shows a roughness that comes with his need to watch over his territory, and Alvarez unleashes the power of his character as he displays Bernardo’s commitment to his family.
Moreno makes a heartfelt return to Sondheim’s creation as Valentina, the owner of a local drugstore, similar to the Doc character in the original. As one of the defining aspects of the original “West Side Story,” this return couldn’t be anymore welcome as we see Moreno display her acting and singing talents that wowed audiences all of those decades ago. For this character, Moreno hits a poignant apex with her performance of the song “Somewhere,” a number that’s used in a different way, compared to the 1961 film. Where Tony and María sang it in that version, Valentina sings it here, offering one of the most emotional scenes in the film that will have you elated to see Moreno on the big screen once again.
The screenplay by Tony Kushner follows much of the outline from the original film, with all of the wonderful songs and characters intact. However, one of the things that he does as an improvement over the 1961 film is dig much deeper into the heart of what’s causing the tension between the Jets and the Sharks. He goes into detail about the Jets being threatened of the changing demographics in their community, as well as the mass demolition around their neighborhood that’s meant to make way for newer landmarks. This is highlighted in the opening long take that’s the antithesis to the opening of the original. Where the original had the opening overhead shots of New York City skyscrapers, this movie opens on an overhead long take of massive heaps of rubble that’s meant to be the location of Lincoln Center. This is a perfect example of taking a story that we know, retaining that story’s essence, but reframing it to present the narrative from a fresh angle.
As a filmmaker, Spielberg doesn’t try to replicate the images from the first movie, but instead uses his own ideas to present these scenes to a brand new audience. He collaborates with his usual cinematographer Janusz Kamiński and editors Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar to create musical sequences that range from electric to romantic to tragic, showing us how much love for the source material went into making this movie. There are balletic confrontation scenes, particularly the Jets/Sharks rumble and the “Cool” sequence between Riff and Tony; the heartwarming balcony setting for María and Tony’s rendition of “Tonight”; and the thrilling prologue that introduces us to the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks. However, one of the most memorable songs of “West Side Story,” “America,” moves the action from a rooftop to the streets, allowing for the sequence to unfold with more intricacies that come together without fault, leaving you breathless with the adventurous ideas that were brought to this re-adaptation. Everything that Spielberg and his team set out to do results in an unforgettable blend of old-school movie magic and advanced filmmaking techniques.
The original “West Side Story” is a movie that has been beloved for many years, and given what Spielberg has accomplished with his retelling, I think we can say that the same will happen for his film.
Grade: A
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