West Side Story is the latest adaptation of the classic Broadway musical from Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, and the late Stephen Sondheim. Having already been made into the iconic 1961 film, this new version comes courtesy of Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner, marking the first musical for both. The story, if you aren’t aware, is very straightforward. It’s Romeo and Juliet, set in 50s Manhattan, where two young members of opposing groups fall in love. We have Tony (Ansel Elgort), a reformed member of the Jets, following a prison stint, and Maria (Rachel Zegler), whose brother, Bernardo (David Alvarez), heads the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks.
The turf that these gangs are fighting over is in the midst of a great change. Buildings are being torn down, and in their place, high end apartment complexes are being planned. No one who lives there now could ever dream of affording it. However, that is not a current concern for these delinquents, who are constantly at each other’s throats, and the situation escalates rather quickly when Bernardo sees Tony and Maria dancing together. Instead of fighting at the school function, Bernardo agrees with the Jets’ leader, Riff (Mike Faist), to one final showdown for control of the territory.
It’s no secret to any fan of Spielberg that he has been wanting to make a musical for quite some time, often going out of his way to incorporate numbers into some of his films like 1941 and the Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom. His films have always had a certain musicality to them, with his old fashioned way of shooting and staging. I say old fashioned, yet it feels like anything but. The camera work from Janusz Kamiński and the editing from Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar all work beautifully in capturing the energy and vibrancy of Justin Peck’s choreography. It just feels so alive.
While the Robert Wise film has certainly more than earned its status as a classic, this version stands on its own two feet incredibly well, with Kushner doubling down on subtext and ideas that serve to make the film just as relevant, if not more so, to today’s audiences and political climate, especially in how they recontextualize certain songs and sequences. Even something as simple as not offering subtitles for Spanish dialogue or making Anybodys (Iris Menas), a wannabe member of the Jets, an explicit trans character instead of a tomboy, adds a certain punch that makes this a far more interesting exercise than one would have initially expected. It doesn’t hold back.
The cast is almost uniformly terrific. Rachel Zegler is a born star, with a great set of pipes, and a presence that almost evokes a Disney princess with total ease. The same goes for Ariana DeBose, who plays Anita, delivering a fiery performance that is impossible to ignore. Everyone is fantastic, and it helps that most are from the Broadway space like Alvarez, Faist. Plus, you have Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank and Brian d’Arcy James as Officer Krupke, both inspired choices, as is Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the 1961 film, as Valentina, a reconcieved version of the character, Doc.
I say “almost” because one big glaring flaw is the presence of Ansel Elgort, who is not necessarily bad in the film, he’s totally serviceable. However, being merely serviceable and having your co-stars act and sing and dance circles around you, combined with the knowledge of those allegations that popped up last year do add a somewhat sour taste to an otherwise perfect experience.
So, that gripe aside, I don’t have anything bad to say about West Side Story. I was effortlessly swept up by the filmmaking, the costumes, the sets, the performances, and of course, the musical numbers. It’s wild seeing a filmmaker, even one as great as Spielberg, approach his mid-70s, and still deliver the kind of quality and style you’d expect from a hungry newcomer. There are numerous moments where my mouth was agape, wondering how certain shots and moments were pulled off. Further proof that he is still one of the very best to ever get behind the camera. It’s a dazzling and often awe-inspiring experience that I would easily consider to be the finest Hollywood musicals to come out in some time. I have and will always have a fondness for the 1961 film, and I’m sure Spielberg has no intention of erasing the love for that film in favor of his, but this version offers a lot to love, especially in its craft and storytelling, and I can’t imagine anyone coming out of this not having a good time. I loved this, and felt the time fly by, and I wouldn’t hesitate to see it again.
West Side Story is now out in theaters.