I was as cynical and unenthusiastic as anyone about a new adaptation of West Side Story, especially as someone who has never particularly been a theatre person. And while I would never disrespect Steven Spielberg as a legendary master of the craft, I think it’s fair to point out that a lot of his more recent released have been at least subpar or seen him turn towards an obsession with bland CGI landscapes (The BFG, Ready Player One, etc.) However, when the initial reviews began emerging and the word on the street was that this new iteration of West Side Story was fantastic, I was pleasantly surprised. After seeing it myself, I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree. Steven Spielberg has breathed such an incredible amount of new life into an arguably somewhat tired classic that has been reimagined and adapted many times from the page, to the stage to the screen. He has in many ways resurrected the musical and crafted something truly energetic and dynamic.
Even being quite long, it has so much momentum and is honestly just one big cinematic flex of Spielberg’s talents to remind us why he is a legend of the craft. More than anything, this is a testament to the fact that Steven Spielberg’s visual eye and ability to stage and shoot setpieces is nothing short of godly. The Cinematography and shot composition, the way his camera glides and dances around its characters with such exhilarating motion is just phenomenal. As well as innovating by switching around the order of some of the numbers, the way he has chosen to stage and shoot some of these big performance setpieces is completely fresh in comparison to previous iterations and numbers like ‘America’ and ‘Cool’ are just a thrill to watch. ‘America’ in particular is in contention for the best scene from the entire year of cinema in my opinion.
If this film is anything, it is an all-out performance showcase of unbelievable merit. David Alvarez is a magnetic Bernardo and Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for playing Anita in West Side Story (1961), has a wonderful full circle moment in giving a sensitive performance with new character Valentina. However, the core of this film and why I believe it is so affecting, is three key performances at its centre which are all among my top ten or even top five performances of 2021. Ariana DeBose shines as this iteration’s Anita with a beautifully complex portrait of a woman who wholeheartedly believes in the American dream only to have it shattered in front of her. Mike Faist gives what is quite honestly an all-time great supporting performance. His screen presence is nothing short of astonishing and his Riff is irresistibly intricate as he is at times antagonistic, but always incredibly sympathetic. However, perhaps the crowning achievement of this film’s casting is the discovery of the young Rachel Zegler. This is her first ever feature film and at many times she honestly blows everyone else off the screen. She also has the voice of an angel and it’s very difficult to not see her discovery as an absolute revelation.
Spielberg’s West Side Story diffuses much of what I find to be the over-theatricality of previous iterations and while it does not shy away from indulging in splendour and fantastical theatricality during its musical numbers, it feels far more grounded. With this adaptation, screenwriter Tony Kusher focuses primarily on what to me has always been what is actually compelling about West Side Story and sets it apart from other musicals. That is that at its crux, this is a story about gentrification and poverty. While Maria’s family and the ‘sharks’ embody the isolating immigrant experience and institutional racism, Riff and the Jets are honestly a pretty devastating representation of dire urban poverty. The violent and irrational actions both sides partake in during their overblown turf war feel far more believable as they are imbued with so much subtext and context about the institutional oppression driving their desperation. For what is still on its surface a musical and a love story, it’s remarkably compelling in places.
There are still a couple of narrative issues I have that somewhat lessen the film’s impact. But it has to be noted that all of those narrative shortcomings come from the original story of West Side Story the way it has always been presented and were not invented by this iteration. And of course, it is impossible to forget that West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet so the bones of its structure will always come from that. For example, I know that it’s essential in many ways that the timeline is as tight as it is and I’m not necessarily saying that Spielberg should have altered that, but it does just feel slightly unbelievable that all of this, including the supposed grand undying romance, happens in the space of two days. Again, I understand why and am not even calling for it to be changed because the pacing is great. However, it does just require a high level of suspension of disbelief and can be distracting to think about. Similarly, Maria’s forgiveness of Tony in the last act happens far too quickly, it’s unreasonable. I bring these narrative shortcomings up to say that they did take me out of the film somewhat but again, I do not blame Spielberg or this film because these are problems that existed before his adaptation that I think are just highlighted when new life is brought to the story.
All of the alterations that were made by Tony Kusher, big and small, are extremely effective. Probably its greatest achievement is taking Maria, a female character who has been historically underwritten and somewhat one dimensional, and granting her so much more agency and depth. Along with this, the love story between Tony and Maria, while still rushed as mentioned, did strike me as more genuine and grounded, and a believable strong physical chemistry is certainly present. With its sensational ensemble, exciting setpieces and absolutely captivating cinematography and direction, West Side Story is undeniably a knockout. The hype is real and I promise you it’s not another lifeless remake. I would even present the hot take that it’s better than the 1961 classic.
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