‘West Side Story’ is Steven Spielberg’s first musical and hopefully not his last. It seems like this is the perfect showcase for the master director. You can feel from the opening scene that he is enjoying every aspect of remaking this masterpiece. He stays true in many ways to the original with some refreshing enhancements that work extremely well. Everyone familiar with the story knows it is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Spielberg wisely keeps the story in New York’s Upper West Side during the late 1950s. The choreographed scenes are impeccable. The blocking of the actors is outstanding. The pacing of the scenes is fast and exciting. Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ is a triumph.
We all know the tale of the doomed star-crossed lovers Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler). He is a former gang member of the Jets and she is the sister of Bernardo (David Alvarez), the leader of the Puerto Rican Gang, the Sharks. The film opens to a bombed-out New York Street. It is being demolished to make room for what will be Lincoln Center. The Jets resent the Sharks for moving into their neighborhood. Both gangs are fighting for a neighborhood that is slowly disappearing to new development. Tony is reluctant to rejoin the Jets since he spent a year in jail for beating an Egyptian kid nearly to death.
The Jets and Sharks decide to face off at a school dance with their respective girlfriends. It is a brilliantly choreographed scene with vibrant colors and spectacular movement. The cool aspect of the sequence is how Spielberg is unafraid to spin and move the camera up close. It creates an exuberance accompanied by the legendary Leonard Bernstein score. This is where Tony and Maria literally fall in love at first sight. When Bernardo finds out about it, he is beyond angry that his little sister would even consider going out with a gringo. The gang leaders Riff (Mike Faist) and Bernardo decide to hold a rumble the following night to settle their differences.
One of the refreshing changes Spielberg made is hiring actual Hispanic performers to play the Sharks. They are even allowed to speak Spanish to each other when they are not forced to speak English to the Jets and the police. This gives it a greater authenticity. Even some of the dance numbers are actually filmed on the streets of New York and not a sound stage. The fight scenes even look real. The original movie had choreographed blows. The remake actually shows the violence giving the story a grittier edge. When the gangs meet for the rumble in a salt warehouse, you feel the tension.
The casting is excellent. All the main characters are talented and deliver magnetic performances. Rachel Zegler as Maria is a rare find. She is a scene stealer. Not taking away anything from Natalie Wood but Zegler can actually sing. Elgort’s Tony is very good too. He also sings. The talented cast is rounded off by compelling performances from Faist as Riff, Alvarez as Bernardo and Ariana Debose as Anita. The original Anita was played by Rita Moreno. She is given a supporting role as a drug store owner. The charismatic performances explode off the screen.
I had my doubts that the original West Side Story could be remade. Spielberg pulled off the impossible. He has reimagined a classic into a vibrant and beautiful work. It is hard to believe that he has never made a musical in his illustrious career. It seems like he was meant to direct it. Spielberg has given us a gift. It is a new West Side Story that new generations can admire and enjoy.
