Anthony's Film Review - West Side Story (2021)

Steven Spielberg presents a new version of a classic musical that is just as great as the predecessor...

The 2021 version of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a remake film that can serve as an example of how cinematic remakes should be handled. For one thing, this movie maintains the spirit and core story of the previous 1961 version of West Side Story. That's the vital first step. It doesn't mean the remake should do nothing new. If anything, there should be something new about it, whether it's related to style or content, but without being overdone. The result should be that the remake is both a reliving of the previous work and a fresh retelling of it. Also, it should captivate two generations of audiences, the ones who remember the original and the ones who did not, so that everyone can find interest in seeing the other version after seeing one of them.

This is illustrated very well with how this film begins. For the first few minutes, it looks and feels very much like the corresponding opening of the 1961 film, with the same music and dance choreography. For a brief moment, I actually thought I was watching the old West Side Story. Then there's a shift in tone that reveals a stylistic difference befitting the 21st century. When the two rival street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, come face to face, it occurs because of a racist act by the Jets. In the 1961 film, the racial conflict between the white kids of the Jets and the Puerto Rican immigrants of the Sharks is evident, but not alluded to. This time, the 2021 West Side Story presents the issue of racism more overtly, something to be expected given the political and social issues at the time.

If you love the music of 1961's West Side Story, you'll enjoy this one, too. The signature songs from that movie are here in this one, including "America," "Maria," "Gee, Officer Krupke," and "Tonight." Even though they are performed by a new cast, they sound very much the same as when they were performed for the 1961 film. And the choreography is just outstanding like in the 1961 film. There's dancing in the streets, artistic movements inside a police station, and much more. One of the most interesting choreographic scenes for me involves two characters fighting for possession of a gun, because it's simultaneously tense from a storytelling standpoint and fun to watch from a choreography perspective.

The 2021 West Side Story cast is, in a nutshell, as great as the 1961 cast. You have the leader of the Jets named Riff (Mike Faist) and the head of the Sharks named Bernardo (David Alvarez). You also have the two characters involved in the film's urban Romeo and Juliet storyline: Tony (Ansel Elgort), who is a former Jet, and Maria (Rachel Zegler), the younger sister of Bernardo. There is also Bernardo's girlfriend Anita (Ariana DeBose) and Maria's arranged date Chino (Josh Andrés Rivera). Then there is Valentina, the owner of a local drugstore, played by Rita Moreno, who played Anita back in 1961's West Side Story. To see her again, even in a different role, is a real treat.

Other than a couple of additional minor plot elements, the story of 2021's West Side Story is very much the same as the 1961 version. Furthermore, this version has a slightly darker and grittier look and feel to it, but it's not even close to a significant deviation of what we saw in 1961. This is why I ended up enjoying this new West Side Story as much as the previous one. It must also be great for director Steven Spielberg to make this film, after being inspired by the 1961 classic. If this 2021 film is your introduction to West Side Story, I hope you enjoy it and understand why it's a classic. And be sure to check out the 1961 film, too. West Side Story is a tale that can capture the hearts of generations of audiences.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about West Side Story, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of the 1961 version of West Side Story.