Steven Spielberg is well known for directing some of the most popular and successful films known to date and he has done it again. Directing his first musical film, he did not mess around when it came to recreating the classic, “West Side Story.”
Two street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds who are commonly known as the Sharks and the Jets are constantly fighting for ownership of the streets in upper New York City. They decide to settle their differences at the upcoming dance. However, when one of the Jets, Tony, catches a glance at one of the Shark girls, Maria, they immediately fall in love with one another. As you can imagine, this causes more and more tension as the rival gangs do not approve of their romance.
It goes without saying that one of the biggest parts of making a musical is the music itself, and I was not the least bit disappointed. With lyrics from the late Stephen Sondheim and new cast’s amazing vocals, all of the original songs are brought back to life from the catchy tunes to the emotional ballads.
And what is a good musical without the big dance numbers? There was plenty throughout the film, which was a joy to watch. The work of upcoming actress, Rachel Zegler, as Maria and from familiar actors such as Ansel Elgort (The Fault in our Stars) as Tony was astonishing as well as other characters in the ensemble. It was also really cool to see Rita Moreno who played Anita in the original movie, take on the role of Valentina. She is the new drugstore owner and plays an important role in the new movie.
The 2021 rendition does follow the same plot as the original movie, but with that being said, there were a few major differences. In regards to the little details, some of the plot and songs were moved around and some background was added in to give more context to some of the characters. Locations were also changed for some scenes such as the rumble. Generally speaking, it was a more modern take on the original version with a lot more violence. However, I feel that this was an appropriate choice as it gives off a more realistic view on the rivalry between the Sharks and the Jets.
There is no doubt that this was a beautiful reimagination of the original 1961 film touching on one of the most famous forbidden love stories. Coming from someone who has seen the original, I was thoroughly impressed with Spielberg’s take on the movie, and I am sure to see it again. While there were a few changes here and there, the film still remains true to the original and I would highly recommend it for all to enjoy.
