Trigger Warnings: This article contains discussions around rape, sexual assault and harassment, and racism.
If you’re like me, you have also been waiting a long time for Spielberg’s remake of ‘West Side Story’. With proper Latinx-representation, Rita Moreno returning as ‘Valentina’ and the introduction of a non-binary person playing ‘Anybodys’, this show was the most anticipated remake in the 21st century.
However, again if you’re like me, you uphold strong morals, and when it comes to victims of sexual assault: you always believe the victim. Hence, when the allegations against Ansel Elgort arose in 2020 from multiple women on Twitter, I felt that the musical re-make had been ruined. Elgort was cast as ‘Tony’ in 2018, and filming had wrapped up six months prior to the allegations, so it was too late to refilm or change any contractual work.
Therefore, in this article, I want to address whether we should still watch this film with Elgort as the male lead.
Can we separate the art from the artist? And can we still support the Latinx community, which this film and remake was an apology and love letter to?
Overall, this film, for me, was undeniably magical. With Spielberg’s direction, Kushner’s scriptwriting, and Tazewell’s costume design, you are transported to the 50’s, but also the essence of New York and the newly emigrated Puerto Rico. With a predominantly yellow, red and dark blue colour scheme for the ‘Sharks’, and a dark grey mise-en-scene surrounding the ‘Jets’, the audience could truly grasp the differences between the groups.
Additionally, the purity and naivety embodied in the young Puerto Rican, ‘Maria’, is emphasised through her beautiful white dress, as seen on the poster, in which she meets Tony. We can see how she is indifferent to the hate between both gangs. Hence why she falls in love with the Caucasian ‘Jet’, Tony.
As for the cast, ‘Anita’, played by Ariana Debose, led the entire ensemble flawlessly and with grace clearly adapted from the original Anita, Rita Moreno. The on-screen chemistry between Bernardo, played by David Alvarez, and Anita was addictive, especially in their dance scenes at the dance hall, particularly in “America” – which was probably my favourite number in the movie.
Maria, played by Rachel Zegler, a 19-year-old newcomer in Hollywood, gave an enchanting performance. I agree with Spielberg when he said that her new portrayal was enough reason alone to remake the film. Her spine-tingling soprano is exactly what Maria should sound like. Hearing her sing “Tonight” as the camera focused on her face through the fire escape steps, could – in my opinion – win an Oscar alone. The minimalistic sets truly allowed us to focus on the masterpiece. Then in Anita and Maria’s duet, “A Boy Like That / I Have A Love” was a masterclass in performance by the actresses; it’s no surprise they won Golden Globes for their performances, and that they are front runners for Oscar nominations.
New to this film, was the character of Doc’s wife, ‘Valentina’, played by Rita Moreno who as aforementioned, was the original Anita. By including her, one of the only Latinx actors who played a Latina role in the 1961 version, the film felt grounded in its history and to the nostalgia of the original film. It also felt respectful, as Moreno paved the way for so many more Latinx actors and actresses to bypass the traditional borders in casting and representation.
Furthermore, by introducing ‘Anybodys’ as a non-binary character, played by iris menas – they don’t wish for their name to include any capital letters – the film set in the ’50s is brought to the present day, adding further to the meaning behind the film: inclusivity and equality. This was wonderful to see, and going back, now I can’t imagine the film without this non-binary or transgender aspect included.
If we didn’t watch this film, we would never get to see these performances by the amazingly talented actors.
Though, it’s hard to support a movie with an alleged rapist in it. With this knowledge in mind, I was often taken out of the moment when ‘Tony’, Elgort, came on screen, which made me uncomfortable as I found it hard to suspend my disbelief. Beyond this, I don’t think Elgort’s acting was on par with the rest of the cast; his dancing also stood out as mediocre in comparison to the other ‘Jets’, especially his partner, ‘Riff’- played by Mike Faist. I wish someone else had been cast for Tony.
Besides this, the film was perfect: it exceeded all my expectations. Its only downfall was Ansel Elgort.
I do think we should still support the film and prove to Hollywood that audiences appreciate correct casting. We want to see wide representations on screen; we want more films with diverse casts and characters. Also, Zegler’s film debut deserves all the hype it’s receiving and more. She truly is a star, and I think she will be the leading actress of our generation- she deserves an Oscar.
However, it’s understandable that people don’t want to support box office sales and in turn, give Elgort money. Perhaps you can borrow the movie from a friend or watch it online.
One thing is for sure: Ansel Elgort needs to be held accountable for his actions.
Words by: Anna Duffell
Edited by: Mckenzie Burnett