A Classic Musical Reimagined for the Ages

"Life matters, more than love." – Valentina

The Broken Hearts Gallery Poster — West Side Story (2021) Movie Poster (c/o IMDb)

West Side Story (2021)

PG-13

December 10, 2021 (United States)

2hrs 36mins

Available on theaters. (Finished)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Screenplay by Tony Kushner

Music by Leonard Bernstein

Starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno

Synopsis:

The second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same name.

Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks -- two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.

Contains swear words, death, violence, and sexual assault and content.

Jhanya: Leave it to Steven Spielberg to make me like a movie adapted from one of my least favorite musicals. I never liked the story of West Side Story. EVER. Not because of its music, because that was good and Bernstein is a master at composing. But rather, how it was an adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, which I was never a fan of, and how controversial the overall story and the 1961 film adaptation was. Despite this, Spielberg’s modern take on the beloved Broadway musical is a prime example of how one should remake a classic.

Do note that even though I’m not—and I don’t think I ever will be—a fan of the plot of the story/film, I will remain unbiased during this review and focus on reviewing the film from a film viewer's standpoint so there is no need to worry.

Ria: The first time I’ve seen West Side Story was when the musical was shown in the Philippines many years ago. And since then, the only thing I remember about it was that I didn’t particularly like it but it tackled very serious racial issues and really showcased the problem of racism. And the film did still tackle that, but I don’t like it.

Jhanya: If there was one thing I absolutely loved about the film, it’s the cinematography. Spielberg used his movie magic and old-school craftsmanship to make the film visually stunning. Yes, the movie was made in the 21st century, but the visuals and camera work were very much like old films with constant lens flares and unrealistic backlights that make the characters bright no matter where they’re positioned. Even though it isn’t technically a good thing, it matched the film's overall vibe and is also kind of an ode to old films in general. I know many filmmakers and critics find the constant lens flares jarring and distracting to see, but in my honest opinion, it was a nice touch to the scenes and enhanced the drama and style. I must say that it added a dramatic flair to the movie.

Ria: I definitely, 100%, agree with Jhanya. The cinematography of this movie was the thing that really worked for me, and I loved it so much. The vibe, like what Jhanya said, really delivered and the palette used for the colors really really worked so well with the theme and age of this movie.

Jhanya: As for the writing, Tony Kushner, who worked with Spielberg in Munich (2005) and Lincoln (2012), did a splendid job in adapting the classic musical to film. The way he added the socio-political context and character backstory to the score went smoothly and added more depth to the misunderstood characters. There were also many moments that the writing carried Tony’s (Elgort) character instead of the actor himself. But I’ll get more to that later. Kushner also replaced Doc’s role with Valentina, played by Rita Moreno who was Anita in the 1961 film, an elderly Puerto Rican store owner who took Tony in after he was released from prison. Overall, Tony Kushner’s rewrite of the story of the original book is really quite convincing as a whole. To a point that I liked it better than previous versions.

Ria: writing? No. Ultimately, my problem with the writing is the plot itself, which isn’t Kushner’s fault. I just don’t vibe well with the overarching romance story and that pretty much colored my view of the writing.

Jhanya: Both Kushner and Spielberg also kept West Side Story’s despairing message on intolerance that can lead to tragedy. They still included racial epithets in the dialogue and showed how bigotry ruined any chances or hope for the Jets and the Sharks’ reconciliation. This is always sad because both groups had a lot more in common than they think, with their neighborhood being bulldozed slowly for the construction of what we know now today as the Lincoln Center and all of them eventually getting evicted with no other place to stay.

Ria: thematic concepts? Yes. I loved the infusion of the themes within the story. This is what actually made the whole movie tolerable. It discussed heavy themes of race, tragedy, gender equality, and, well, love. The film still encapsulates the important morale the musical, I think, is trying to convey and how society really dictates who lives, who dies, and who tells their own story. It is also insightful and heartbreaking to see how now, New York has changed so much, and it makes us wonder if all this is worth that.

Jhanya: The songs were stellar as always and everyone in the cast, except one, pulled it off splendidly which added to the overall punch of the rearranged parts of the soundtrack. For this 2021 film, rearrangements and addition of scenes were made and some worked, while some did not, even drastically changing the mood negatively. Musical performance standouts for me were “America” (ofc), “Gee, Officer Krupke”, and “Tonight Quintet”. “America” was just pure sensational, boisterous, and full of musical magic. The ensemble and both Ariana DeBose (as Anita) and David Alvarez (as Bernardo) slayed their parts in the performance and brought a brighter note to the seemingly dark film. For “Gee, Officer Krupke” which is actually my favorite performance, was actually changed into an inside setting in the waiting room of the police station which I honestly thought suited the song better instead of the nighttime storefronts that were used in the 1961 film. And the performance of “Tonight Quintet” did a good job of highlighting the cast and the different stories in the film. With the Jets and Sharks preparing for battle, Tony and Maria ruminating on their budding love, and Anita lusting after Bernardo.

Ria: The songs were phenomenal. West Side Story has one of the greatest musical soundtracks, and the film did not disappoint. HOWEVER. I think that there was a lack of songs that they placed in the film. I might’ve gone into the movie with the wrong mindset and expected more musical tones than words and talking. This is why I was kind of bored throughout because the only music I got was the background music, which was really great in setting the theme, but I wanted dancing, singing, an ensemble, or even just solos or pairs. Setting that aside, the cast did a good job of performing, especially for my favorite, “America” (well, duh).

Jhanya: I really have to disagree with Ria on this one because I think the number of musical performances was just right for the film and gave an opportunity for the beautifully designed background music to shine. The music composed by the great Leonard Bernstein and rearranged a bit for added punch was phenomenal and added a lot to the different scenes of the film without the need for singing or too much talking. There were small moments with only the background music that really made me smile. The scene after the night of the dance where Maria was trying her best to look disheveled and got out of bed was a simple yet nice touch and really made the BGM pop out. If there was one thing I actually didn’t like, it was the changed placement of the song “I Feel Pretty” because it was somewhat a mood killer and jarring to see after the shockingly tragic moment in the scene before. That I Feel Pretty performance really made me scratch my head. It felt so wrong :”)

Ria: I am a bit torn with the cast. I think they did a good job for some, and a questionable job for others. Please note, we’ll be taking a look at the acting and performance, not their character!

Jhanya: On the other hand, I absolutely loved the cast with one exception, Ansel Elgort as Tony. The cast was, in one word, stellar. The majority of the cast were regular musical actors and I absolutely loved it. They portrayed their characters so well and really added to the already improved script.

Tony and Maria – Elgort and Zegler

Ria: I think the casting for this was okay. I hoped for them to be more captivating and more expressive since they are the main drivers of the story. I felt a lack of the emotional impact as an audience, although I think they were immersed in their characters.

Jhanya: Tony and Maria remain to be the weakest links in both the 1961 and 2021 films. Rachel Zegler as Maria was radiant and she did very well in her first musical film. The controversial Anzel Elgort however, was the biggest part of the film I didn’t like. I’m not talking about his controversy because that’s a completely different story, but rather his performance in the film. It was mediocre and it stood out amongst a stellar cast that all performed beautifully. His voice is good but his singing techniques could use some work, and his acting wasn’t quite convincing. I didn’t expect much because of his previous films with the exception of Baby Driver, but I was still disappointed.

Anita and Bernardo – DeBose and Alvarez

Ria: slayed. They were, for me the stars of the film. They brought passion, drive, and color into the film and their performance were just *chef’s kiss*. Jhanya had already said most of what I also feel about their performance before, but I just want to say it again that they very much slew their performance. All aspects, dancing, singing, stage presence, emotion, were the perfect amount with the perfect mix. I love them.

Jhanya: However, I do have to note that I was most of the time bothered at how toxic their relationship was as a whole. I loved the actors, their acting, and their chemistry, but their characters and relationships weren’t the healthiest which can be seen in the previous versions of the story.

Ria: well, their acting was top tier, not their characters.

Valentina – Moreno

Ria: I feel I didn’t see her character enough to make a very good judgment of her acting. However, her solo song was emotional and had quite the impact and although I wouldn’t say it was groundbreaking, she delivered a wonderful, heartfelt, emotional performance. And she also has one of the best lines in the whole film which I think she did good justice.

Jhanya: Portrayed by Rita Moreno, the only character I liked in the 1961 film, was someone I was looking forward to, especially because she was a new character. And I must say that her character was very grounding for the story. Her soft rendition performance of “Somewhere” highlighted the purpose of her character in the film. And I must say that her character as a whole is somewhat a foreshadowing of Tony and Maria’s doomed love.

The Jets

Jhanya: I totally forgot that Mike Faist was in this film so seeing him at the start of the film was a very welcome surprise because it’s Mike Faist. Overall, the Jets were great in terms of acting and really portrayed their characters as society’s undesirables. And as I mentioned earlier, “Gee, Officer Krupke” was great and gave the cast a chance to stand out on their own.

Ria: Mike Faist did so well in the film. I actually am not sure if I’ve seen his past works, but I loved his performance in the film. He 100% was in character and really did deliver what he was supposed to and I loved the versatility of his acting, as well. Aside from him, I actually like the acting and performance of the Jets over the Sharks. I think they were all more put together and united and just overall delivered better.

Puerto Rican Sharks

Ria: I liked the performance of the Jets better because I lacked the power and strength from the Sharks. I feel that they could’ve been more united and more expressive and powerful both individually and as a whole. I didn’t feel the emotion as much as I did when it was with the Jets. However, they still performed well. It’s just that in a film with two sides, it becomes easier for the audience to compare, and unfortunately, the Sharks came out a bit lacking, for me.

Jhanya: The Sharks were basically like sharks. Aggressive and temperament people who take every opportunity to fight back against everyone that does them wrong. I don’t put it against them though, because the way they’re treated by the Jets is unjust and something that shouldn’t happen. They’re also Americans and deserve the right to be treated as proper citizens of America.

Final Thoughts

Ria: I can’t say for sure if the 2021 adaptation is better than the first one, since I have not seen it. What I will say, is I prefer the musical to the film. The musical gave the whole story a lot more life to the otherwise, dark film. And although, the romance of the story is something I will never like, the themes it tackled is so important and should be discussed more. Overall, I have conflicting feelings on the film – I love and hate it at the same time.

Jhanya: When it was announced that Spielberg will be making a film adaptation of the already well-known and award-winning musical and film West Side Story, everyone asked 1 question. “Why?” Why remake an already critically acclaimed film and classic musical? Thankfully, after watching the film, Spielberg more than answers the why, without necessarily fixing all of the earlier film’s weaknesses and still zeroing on the good without ignoring the flaws.With West Side Story (2021), Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner did the impossible and made a great new film adaptation of a classic stage musical that already had a classic film adaptation. Spielberg’s adaptation is definitely an improvement on Robert Wise’s 1961 film adaptation of the musical.

Rating

Criteria	Jhanya	Ria
Screenwrite/Plot/Flow (1.5)	1.25	1
Cinematography (1.5)	1.5	1.5
Visual Effects/Realism (1.5)	1.25	1.25
Casting/Acting (1.5)	1.5	1
Morale (1)	0.75	0.75
Originality (1)	0.5	0.25
Soundtrack (1)	1	1
Rewatch Value (1)	0.5	0
TOTAL	8.25	6.75
Final Score	7.5