Tonight, Tonight: "West Side Story"

Spoilers for both film versions of West Side Story below.

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story is as good and even better a new cinematic version of this classic tale we could've received. It may be blasphemous to say but in many ways it's better than the 1961 film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, which won 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Wise and Robbins. I'd argue Spielberg's version should be up for numerous Oscars as well, including one for Spielberg himself, a director whose skill is sometimes overshadowed by his popularity. His West Side Story is quite amazing and maybe even in the top  ten of his filmography. It's certainly one of his best recent films- supremely emotional and joyously cinematic, full of inventiveness that's refreshing considering how often we've done this story-whether it be Shakespeare or in some other iteration. It's one of the best films of 2021. 

Spielberg's film tells the same broad story as the original 1957 play and 1961 film; there are two rival gangs in 1950s New York, the caucasian Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks- and in the middle there's a love story between former Jet Tony and Maria, whose brother Bernardo is the Sharks' leader. Essentially Romeo & Juliet but with the added themes of racism and prejudice. Playwright Tony Kushner's screenplay (Kushner also wrote the screenplay for Spielberg's Lincoln, which nagged him an Oscar Nomination) doesn't transpose the setting to modern day but keeps the 50s setting. However Kushner adds a darker, more modern edge to the gang warfare, including one of the Jets' ears getting pierced with a nail during the opening fight. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography also provides a grittier look to this film than Daniel L. Fapp's more expressionistic and colorful approach to the 1961 film, which garnered him an Oscar. 

Spielberg also chooses to begin the film in a construction zone, establishing the rougher take on this material. Critic Mark Kermode has described this opening as looking like a war zone from Spielberg's own Saving Private Ryan, an apt comparison given we're dealing with a gang war. The neighbourhood under iss to become the Lincoln Centre, which highlights the futility of this gang fighting over the territory, a point driven home by Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll).

Kushner also makes the racism directed towards the Sharks even more vicious- "How many times do I have to tell you Bernardo, I don't speak spic," says Jet leader Riff (Mike Faist). I found Faist's interpretation of Riff more intimidating and almost world-weary than Russ Tamblyn's, though that's nothing against Tamblyn's performance. And David Alvarez as Bernardo brings a sexy brutishness to his interpretation of Bernardo that distinguishes him from George Chakiris' more sophisticated and cat-like performance (for which he won Best Supporting Actor) Alvarez's performance also fits the script's choice to make Bernardo a boxer this time around.  

Tony (Ansel Elgort) is also given more of an edge in this version,  having been in jail for almost killing a rival gang member, which makes his fateful action later in the film more of a payoff for the character. Elgort has more of that "New Yawk" quality to him than Richard Beymer did, rawer, more haunted. While Elgort may be the least of the leading performances I overall thought he was good, making Tony a likable protagonist. Tony is a thankless role compared to Riff and Bernardo but I appreciate the attempt to add dimension. I also like the relationship between Tony and Valentina (Rita Moreno), who is a reimaging of the Doc character from the play and film- in this version she's his widow and took in Tony and gave him a job after he got out of prison. Elgort and Moreno have a sweet chemistry and there's a humorous scene where he's asking how to say certain things in Spanish to Maria. Moreno also has a deeply poignant scene when she sings "Somewhere" alone in her store, essentially singing about Doc; their marriage- a Puerto Rican married to a "gringo," parallels the romance between Tony and Maria. 

And speaking of Maria, in her film debut, Rachel Zegler is a vibrant and sweet Maria. She and Elgort also have a nice chemistry though this story's romance, no matter what, always feels like it needs more development. I know a part of that is due to the story taking place over 2 days, though it feels it takes place over a longer period. To Kushner's credit the script pokes fun at Tony falling instantly in love.  Valentina suggests asking Maria out for coffee before telling her he wants to be with her forever. I do love Tony and Maria's first meeting in this version, meeting behind the bleachers at the school after following each other across the room. It's a very intimate first meeting and I like that they're hidden from all eyes.

Moreno played Bernardo's partner Anita in the 1961 film (and won Best Supporting Actress) and Ariana DeBose brings her own electric sexiness to her version of the character. The pain her face and voice exudes in "A Boy Like That" is even more powerful than Moreno's interpretation. Continuing on with Anita's signature songs, the film opens up "America" from the roof of her apartment out in to the streets, making the song really about New York City as a community full of life and love. 

Another recontextualizations I like: "Cool" isn't sung after the brawl  between Riff and Bernardo as in the original film or sung by Riff to the Jets before, as in the original play. Now it's Tony singing to Riff about his newly required gun- "Got a rocket in your pocket." The struggle over the gun becomes a ballet. The struggle is al significant because the gun has an arc over the story- bought by Riff, given to Tony during the brawl and then required by Maria's suitor, Chino (Josh Andres Rivera), after the brawl. This becomes the gun he uses to shoot Tony. "Cool" is probably my favourite sequence in the entire film, it's amazing. Justin Peck's choreography throughout the film honors Robbins' dance as expression of story and character but finds his own specific physicality for the characters. 

I also liked how "Office Krupke" now takes place in the police station after the Jets have been arrested, which is appropriate. It's also preceded by Anybodys (played by non-binary actor Iris Menas),  who wants to be part of the Jets, being misgendered by one of them. Anybodys attacks the Jet and this leads to the rest of the Jets being left alone in a room, which in turn leads in to the song. The song acts as a cool down to the fight and pays off with Officer Krupke (Brian d'Arcy James) coming back. This time he actually receives the "Krup you" final line of the song.  

The film does feel- as with the 1961 film and with the original play- a little long. And I as I said earlier the romance of this story will always be a little underdeveloped given it takes place over 2 days. But aside from that I think West Side Story is a stunning achievement. Spielberg directs the hell out of the musical sequences and even in the non-musical sequences Spielberg has the ability to stun you with his specific camera moves and compositions. There was understandable skepticism regarding doing West Side Story as a film again but Spielberg and Kushner made an arguably better- if maybe not as iconic version- than the 1961 film. Though I don't want to put them in competition with each other. It's great they both exist and will continue to bring new fans to this story. 

P.S. The late Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are still some of the best of the musical genre. West Side Story includes songs that range from poignant to clever, to cool to goofy but all being able to exist within the same story. What's your favourite West Side Story song? Comment and let me know.