West Side Story (2021) Review

The 1961 version of “West Side Story” is one the iconic masterpieces of American cinema, regarded by some as the greatest musical ever filmed. Steven Spielberg, in his wisdom, does not try and recreate it. Instead, Spielberg gives us a new interpretation of the play, which in some respects is actually superior to the 1961 film.

Spielberg allows the genius of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim to shine through, with an engaging, highly talented crop of young actors. The new cast knew how high the bar was in making this version, and they cross it easily.

The brightest star is Rachel Zegler, the young Columbian actress playing Maria. She shines from her first second on screen, and can both act and sing beautifully. This is her film time on screen, but hopefully we will be seeing lots more of Ms Zegler in the future.

Also impressive was Ansel Elgort as Tony, who gave a nice depth and complexity to the troubled former gang member. The other standout is Ariana DeBose as Anita, who delivers a passionate version of “A Boy Like That.”

Spielberg actually changed the lineup of songs so that it more closely matched the order of the 1957 Broadway musical. There are several places were this surpasses the 1961 film. First, he moves directly from “Maria” into the balcony scene and “Tonight” placing “America” afterwards. It works better in terms of Maria and Tony’s relationship. Second, he moved “I Feel Pretty” to after the rumble scene. The song is even more poignant when you realize that their love is already doomed. Another wise choice was to move “Cool” (now between Tony and Riff) to before the rumble, which makes more sense in the context of the drama.

The other major improvement was in “Gee Officer Krupke” which was delivered with lots of verve by the actors playing The Jets. It’s a great moment of comedy before the terrible tragedy unfolds.

And a note on Rita Moreno, who played Valentina, the widow of Doc, and served as Tony’s mentor/parental figure. At 90, the EGOT winner has not lost one step and is fabulous as the voice of reason. Spielberg has her sing “Somewhere” and she does it well, but this is one of the few places where the 2021 film does not compare well with the 1961 version. The song is Maria and Tony’s, and they should have sung it.

The other thing I liked about Spielberg’s version is that he places the story in a more real world context, and his New York is grittier than Robert Wise’s. It gives the film a more realistic feel. The new film was shot in the New York area during the summer of 2019, mainly in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The other major “real world” change Spielberg makes is to make the new film more political than the 1961 film. Corey Stoll’s Lieutenant Schrank is more overt in his criticism than Simon Oakland’s Schrank. Spielberg has the Sharks sing the “Borequano,” the national anthem of Puerto Rico. And Spielberg has the Hispanic characters speak in Spanish, without any need for subtitles. Sexuality is also less subtle, with Anita’s attempted rape being more graphic and Anybodys being more clearly identified as trans-gender (and played by nonbinary actor Iris Menas).

The original “West Side Story” won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. While I don’t think Spielberg’s effort will win quite that much Oscar love, hopefully it will be well recognized – especially Zenger, Debose, and the set designers, who create late 1950s New York City in minute detail.

Is Spielberg’s version of “West Side Story” better than Robert Wise’s? I wouldn’t go that far, but is a fantastic film, easily some of the best work the veteran director has done in a long time. I would encourage people to watch both films and make up their own mind. I can certainly think of worse ways to spend an evening.