I realise I am late to the game in seeing West Side Story given its release in December of 2021, but with Christmas festivities, uncertainty regarding Covid, and general life, it was 15th February 2022 by the time I saw it. The day after Valentine’s Day seems quite apt, I think.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Rachel Zegler (who went viral after releasing a video of her singing A Star is Born’s ‘Shallow’), the 2021 version of this award-winning movie-musical has certainly acquired a lot of hype.
We are introduced to the context of the film before being introduced to any of the characters. The initial shot takes us from rubble on the ground to a sign which says ‘Slum Clearance’, before leading us to a pointed shot of the Jets. Indeed, throughout the film the political context is made obvious. The opening scene sees the Jets paint over a Puerto Rican flag, which causes a fight with the Sharks. This mise-en-scene makes the ‘us’ and ‘them’ divide clearer than the 1961 movie, yet still manages to make the story seamless. It also makes the music seem more powerful and the romance between Tony and Maria more dangerous.
The political context is also emphasized by the use of Spanish. Throughout the film, the Puerto Ricans are told by American officials to ‘speak English’. Anita, too, is constantly reminding Maria and Bernardo to speak English to integrate fully into American society. Towards the end of the film, however, Spanish is spoken more and more amongst the Puerto Ricans as tensions build. There is poignancy in Anita’s final scene where she says, ‘Yo no soy americana, yo soy puertorriqueña’. I thought the use of Spanish in the film was a beautiful touch. It reminds us that for many people in America, English isn’t the norm. It also serves as a reminder of the barriers of understanding that remain between different nationalities, not only on a linguistic level, but also on a social level.
All actors played their parts with care, and I was glad to see that the film cast Latin American actors, something the 1961 film did not do. For me, Ariana DeBose (Anita) stood out. Her lively performance at the film’s beginning contrasts with the sorrow she is made to feel later in the film – and she carries this emotional journey well. The singing in the film was also of a high standard, with Rachel Zegler stealing the show in this regard. Some songs were even sung live on set, including “One Hand, One Heart”, “Somewhere”, “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love”, and parts of “Maria”. I felt Zegler was well-matched with Ansel Elgort, and their balcony scene captured the essential ‘Romeo and Juliet’ feel. ‘One Hand, One Heart’ also portrayed the impulsive yet deep love felt between the two. The musical directors (David Newman and Gustavo Dudamel) and orchestra did a wonderful job of creating the ‘goosebump’ feeling that the original score produces.
After La La Land, I am always anxious about seeing the dancing in a modern movie-musical (I’m sorry for the controversial take – I enjoyed La La Land, but the dancing was so sloppy, nothing was sharp enough). West Side Story did not disappoint, however. I was so glad they prioritised casting trained dancers instead of merely opting for the big names. Whilst the initial choreography of solo pieces such as ‘Something’s Coming’ felt a little too polished, group numbers like ‘Mambo’ had that graceful but free movement which makes the musical numbers feel more natural. I was particularly excited to see perhaps the most well-known number of West Side Story, ‘America’. It had a lot to live up to, and did not disappoint. The camera angles, costumes and energy of the dancing brought the scene together in a way which I think epitomises West Side Story: busy yet rhythmic.
All in all, I think this movie did a great job of staying true to the ‘classic’ nature of West Side Story whilst simultaneously revitalising it. The casting of Rita Moreno as ‘Doc’ and the character of ‘Anybodys’ as a trans man (who in the original musical is a tomboy) show originality in Spielberg’s vision.
The cast and production team have clearly worked incredibly hard to make this movie of a high standard, and I would say it has done a pretty good job of living up to the hype. West Side Story will remain a classic, and I think this movie can be seen as a ‘version’ instead of a ‘remake’ due to its originality. It is a musical which brings plenty of fun alongside the politics, which remain relevant to this day.