West Side Story’s Technical Prowess and New Generation Talent Don’t Outweigh Its Overfamiliarity

Remaking art that the public loves is always a tall task, much less when the art being reimagined is universally hailed as a classic. If anyone is capable of tackling such a challenge, it would be legendary director Steven Spielberg. His latest film seeks to do just that as he provides his take on the adaptation of a beloved Broadway musical.

You’re most likely at least somewhat familiar with the story by now. Set in Manhattan’s Upper West Side in the 1950s, West Side Story tells the tale of young lovers Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler), who are Polish and Puerto Rican respectively in the neighborhood where Whites and Latinos live under tension as the area gentrifies. The Irish gang the Jets, led by Tony’s best friend Riff (Mike Faist), and the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks led by Maria’s brother Bernardo (David Alvarez) are on the verge of war for control of the neighborhood. As the two gangs prepare for combat, Tony and Maria try to find a way to end the war and still stay together as a couple.

This film serves as a modern film adaptation of the 1957 stage musical with much inspiration from the 1961 film adaptation, including the casting of the legendary Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 version as the shop owner Valentina in this version. Immediately, the updated camera technology and production design that was available to Spielberg and company is apparent as the genius director utilizes his mastery of the camera to give the film a modern feel that builds upon the wonder of its predecessor with the power of current technology. Spielberg’s camera movement makes for several breathtaking shots, particularly when he places the camera overhead pointed down at the actors during a scene, allowing for all of the characters and the surrounding set to be seen onscreen simultaneously in an all-encompassing wide shot that shows off everything. It’s done to it’s best effect as seen below leading into the all-important rumble scene, this time set in a salt warehouse rather than underneath a highway as in the 1961 version, where we first see the actors’ shadows followed by the actors themselves. The shot really underscores the tension and impending doom of the moment and makes what follows that much more impactful. West Side Story pops with color that again hearkens back to the original film adaptation and its Technicolor era, while providing an updated, more modern feel that marries the two seamlessly and effectively. The sets that were created for the film, along with the colorful, time accurate wardrobe make the film a sight to behold.

West Side Story also had a tall task in having to live up to the legendary cast and performances in the 1961 adaptation and amazingly, the new cast is more than able to set their own mark and announce their arrival on the Hollywood scene. Natalie Wood’s Maria is perhaps the biggest shoe to fill of all (despite the racist conventions of the time casting the Russian Wood as a Puerto Rican) and new star Rachel Zigler absolutely sets the screen afire as both an actress and singer with her lead performance. Zigler not only sings and dances well, but is able to empathetically portray a young girl caught between her identity and her love for another in an impossible situation that invests audiences in this tale all over again, this time with a new actress. Ariana DeBose is the second standout as Anita, Bernardo’s girlfriend, and provides emotional moments of her own along with a prowess for dancing and singing, including Spielberg’s magnetic reimagining of the classic song America. Rita Moreno is rounds out the list of standout performances as the film’s conscience in the tensions between Whites and Latinos, trying her best to set the wayward youths on a path toward peace. All three will be major awards season contenders, deservedly so.

In terms of the story itself, Spielberg’s take on this classic tale contains all of the elements that you remember fondly from its 1961 predecessor and evokes the same emotions as the story unfolds. Two star crossed lovers caught in a mid-20th century version of Romeo & Juliet, with ethnic tensions exacerbated by worries from each side for the future of their communities and place within a society that leaves working class people fighting for scraps forcing two teens apart and turning a powder keg into an explosion that changes numerous lives for ever. It has all the familiar story beats and includes a cast that does justice to the original performers and the source material on which the film is based. And this blessing also serves as the film’s curse.

Many critics and audiences that have seen the film have raved about West Side Story’s quality, but isn’t this to be expected in a beat for beat remake of a film that was already a classic that stood the test of time. West Side Story is a well-made and written story that is a joy to watch which we knew already because that was established in 1961 when we were treated to its delights the first time. This isn’t to say that Spielberg hasn’t imbued the film with his own singular technical brilliance, more on that in a second, or that West Side Story doesn’t serve as a showcase for a new generation of talent that is more diverse than the social mores of the early-1960s allowed for. However, these ancillary updates aren’t enough to elevate a remake of 60 year old material over current, original works as if we aren’t witnessing something that was already done to great effect literally one human lifetime ago. How uniquely great can a carbon copy of old material be?

West Side Story is well made, an enjoyable spectacle that introduces viewers to new talent that is sure to make a mark on Hollywood’s future. Steven Spielberg offers one of his best efforts in years that shows off his virtuosity as a director and skill behind the camera that, when combined with the film’s outstanding production and costume design, makes West Side Story one of the best films of the year in terms of its visuals. Spielberg equally displays his skill as a talent evaluator introducing us to a number of young actors with true star potential starting with Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose, but extending to David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and treating us to the delights of Rita Moreno one more time. Outside of its technical aspects and performances, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the reason you’ve so enjoyed it is because you’ve seen this exact story before and it’s been heralded as a classic for six decades now. This is a very good film and modern update to something that we’ve seen before, but the fact that we have seen it before makes it hard to elevate to the top of 2021’s list of the best films.

Images:  20th Century Studios