OnScreen Review: "West Side Story (2021)"
Ken Jones, Chief Film Critic
1961’s West Side Story is a film that is in the pantheon for many when it comes to musicals, if for no other reason than the 10 Oscar wins it has to its name, including Best Picture and Best Director. For anyone to decide to do another film adaptation of the 1957 musical takes a certain level of chutzpah. Enter Steven Spielberg. Steven Spielberg, one of the greatest and most prolific directors of all time. Steven Spielberg, a director who has made movies for 50 years and never made a musical before. And of course, as he has in most cases, Spielberg delivers.
As most people will know, West Side Story is a retelling of the classic Romeo & Juliet narrative plunked into the bustling, changing street of New York City in the late 1950s. The Jets and the Sharks the Montagues and Capulets of this musical tale. Romeo is Tony (Ansel Elgort), and Juliet is Maria (newcomer Rachel Zegler). They are caught up in the myopic turf war of increasing racial tensions between the two gangs, led by Riff and Bernardo (Mike Faist and David Alvarez respectively). Riff is Tony’s best friend and Bernardo is Maria’s older brother. While Tony and Maria have their hearts set on a life together, nearly everything and everyone around them seem determined to tear them apart.
Not being a huge theatre buff myself and having only seen the 1961 film once, I don’t have a lot of prior experience with West Side Story to compare this adaptation to, but I did write a review of the 1961 classic back in 2015. I have to say that I was probably more taken with Spielberg’s vision here than the 1961 adaptation, but this review is not going to be a constant comparison between the two. I am very grateful that Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner eschew the opening sequence with a basketball prominent involved in a dance number.
One thing, though, did really stand out with this adaptation that the original did not have the benefit of: history and perspective. Unlike the 1961 classic that was adapted from the 1957 Broadway musical, Spielberg and Kushner know what lies ahead for New York City and the changes that these neighborhoods actually will undergo in the 60s and beyond. The opening shows building in various stages of demolition and plans are shown of a future neighborhood with higher rent apartments and the Lincoln Center. What is already a story of tragic love is made even more tragic because these two rival gangs are fighting over an ever-diminishing territory and increasingly lower stakes because they are going to experience displacement from urban renewal in the very near future. But as is revealed by an exchange between both Bernardo and Riff with Lt. Schrank (Corey Stoll), this is all these guys know and there is no getting out.
There are several great moments in the film that stand out. Overall, the school dance is a standout sequence, but there are so many individual moments during it that just shine. When Maria, Bernardo, and his girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose) show up and walk through the doors to the gymnasium dancefloor, it almost feels like Dorothy opening the door from the black and white of her Kansas house to the technicolor of Oz.
But easily the best shot of the entire film is when Tony and Maria see each other from across the room. Everyone is dancing in a blur of body movements and colors rushing around them and past both of them, but both of them are either perfectly still or moving almost in slow motion, never breaking eye contact. It is an unforgettable little sequence. And right after that they meet under the bleachers and the rest of the world fades almost completely for a few minutes before being inevitably broken. It is a moment of heightened reality, almost magical realism, which helps establish some other musical moments as almost existing as an intimate moment insulated from the outside world between two people, like the balcony scene when Tony and Maria sing “Tonight” together.
The cast is a strong suit of the film. Everyone can sing and everyone can emote when the moment calls for it. Elgort and Zegler work really well as the leads, with Zegler being quite the revelation. It’s a small, weird, trivial thing, but Ansel Elgort looks like he doesn’t know to run. As the leaders of their gangs, Faist and Alvarez give really strong performances; I would not be surprised to see an Oscar nomination for Mike Faist. The same could also be said for Zegler, but also for DeBose as Anita, who really lets loose with the “America” musical number, another highlight of the film. Speaking of Anita, Rita Moreno, who won the Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anita in the 1961 adaptation, returns in this one as Valentina, a reimagining of the Doc role in the story.
The production values of this film are top notch as well. The recreation of New York City in the late 1950s is incredible and I’d be curious to know how much of it was VFX and green screen. The camerawork of Janusz Kamiński is also praiseworthy. The choreography from Justin Peck also deserves recognition. And don’t forget the costume design.
It may be sacrilege to some, but Spielberg’s West Side Story surpasses the classic 1961 adaptation in many ways. At the very least, it warrants equal footing with the original and offers a fresh perspective on a classic of stage and screen. While there are a few familiar faces involved, the fresh faces stand out the most here, with Rachel Zegler, Mike Faist, and Ariana DeBose leading the way. This film could be looked back upon as the launching pad for their respective careers. West Side Story is worth the lengthy runtime and will surely warrant awards consideration.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars