West Side Story (2021) — A Review

12th January, 2023.

Right.

It’s a Thursday night.

And, frankly?

I have a quandary.

Or possibly a problem.

I’m writing this on an evening with little to do.

Bar fret.

And wonder what to watch.

Frankly?   I’m thinking the Spielberg cut of West Side Story looks attractive.

As does the documentary about 1996 made for TV, Dr Who movie: imaginatively named Dr Who Am I.

Or do I start watching the third season of Apple TV+’s For All Mankind?

Before the start of Picard’s third series, in February?

At any rate?

I’m going to watch something, tonight: and tell you about it, tomorrow night.

Here’s hoping I make my mind up.

~≈💃🏽≈~

13th January, 2023.

It’s officially official.

It’s the day after the night before … and yes: I figured out what I wanted to watched.

I figured I could watch Dr Who Am I and  the third season of Apple TV+’s For All Mankind, another time.

I have a lot of it on my hands, after all.

Which means?

That I eventually settled down with the Spielberg directed, 2021 version of West Side Story.

It’s quite something to watch … 

~≈💃🏽≈~

West Side Story opens in 1957, in the San Juan Hills area of New York City.

The region is a mix of seedy slums: parts of which are being knocked down to make way for upscale apartment blocks.

Once the camera stops its flight over the rubble … ?

We focus on half a dozen members of the Polish American Jets.

Led by Riff (Mike Faist), the gang are determined to continue their turf war with the Puerto Rican Sharks, by vandalising a mural the Sharks have place in the middle of their territory.

The ensuing fight?

The ensuing fight between the Jets and the Bernardo (David Alvarez) led Sharks is broken up by  Lieutenant Schrank (Corey Stoll) and Officer Krupke (Brian D’Arcy James.)

As Schrank puts it, when he sees the trouble that’s been caused?

“… if any of you helps me out, you might spoil your chance to murder each other over control of this earthly paradise.”

It’s only once the police officers have gone, and the fight broken up?

We see that Riff has gone to met his old friend — and Jet co-founder — Tony (Ansel Elgort).

Riff needs Tony’s help at the up and coming dance: as it’s the one chance the Jets will get to have a peaceful meeting with the Sharks, and arrange a rumble.

A fight, in other words: one that will determine which of the two gangs will controls the area, for good.

Tony is reluctant: he’s on parole, and staying out late at the dance would get him in trouble.

But Riff?

Proves persuasive.

Meanwhile?

Meanwhile, Bernardo’s sister, Maria (Rachel Zegler) is at home: trying out dresses for a night out.

And not happy about about her choices.

Either in frocks … or potential partners: Bernardo and his girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose), are keen for her to be married off to their friend Chino (Josh Andrés Rivera).

Something the independent Maria doesn’t like the idea of.

Little knowing, as she and Chino head for the dance, that she’s going to meet the man of her dreams.

And that things are rapidly going to go down hill.

~≈💃🏽≈~

Now … what did I make of this version of West Side Story?

And what details did I notice?

Details are possibly something to discuss.

The dance are the gym highlights one thing I notice: from the minute I saw the trailers.

I’m not especially familiar with US street gangs.

Oh, I know they’re out there: but, living in the UK, they’re not something I have to worry about if I’m in Sainsbury’s.

I’m very aware, however, that two of the biggest federations of gangs are the Bloods, and their rivals, the Crips.

‘Federation’, or possibly ‘confederacy’, seems an appropriate choice of words: as both seem to be collection of gangs that work, together as needed.

At any rate, both groups are a collection of gangs: rather than a pair of monolithic organisations.

The only other thing I know about both?

Is that both groups wear distinct gang colours: the Bloods in red, the Crips in blue.

It’s distinct enough that — under US law — committing a crime whilst in gang colours gets extra time on your sentence: and gets you warnings from prison guards.

The reason I mention that?

Is that one of the first things I noticed in the trailers was that the Sharks are wearing lots of reds, and browns, and mustard yellow t-shirts and tops.   In the case of Bernardo, he spends a lot of time wearing a blue shirt … with a distinct red collar.

The Jets, by contrast?   Are in a lot of shades of blues, and greys and black.

Blood and Crip colours, in other words: something that’s very noticeable in the Gym scene.

I’m tempted to say “I don’t know if that’s deliberate.”

But I’m very aware that little in a film is accidental.

Director, Steven Spielberg, would’ve signed off on costume design: as he signed off on the brilliantly scored music used for that scene.

The off-key nature of that music, used to underline the tensions at the dance?

Is superb.

As is the rest of the score.

We have heard the songs in this film many times before: even if it’s only from the original film.

But?

The original stage version, written back in 1957, has been around for a long time: those songs — like the best known tune, America, — are wonderful.

Gee, Officer Krupke is something of a favourite.

The songs are wonderful … and like nothing we see today, I think.

Composer, Leonard Bernstein, and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, died many years ago.

They, literally, don’t write them like that, anymore.

One minor point, here?

Is that they’ve made minor changes to the lyrics of I Feel Pretty: the 1961 version of the song uses the line “I feel pretty and witty and gay”, against the 2021 version’s “I feel pretty and witty and bright”.

From the little I can see?   The “and bright” version was the one used in the original book.

But it got changed for the ’61 film.

Why?   I don’t know.

But changing it — or changing it back — to bright?

Seems a good idea.

Especially as we know the definition of the word ‘gay’ has changed over the years!

Moving away from that … ?

There’s other things that needs discussing, here.

I’ve not seen the stage version: and it’s been a while since I’ve seen the 1961 version of the story.

So there’s a couple of thing that stood out for me.

I honestly don’t remember if the Corey Stoll character, Lieutenant Schrank, is in the original film, or in the stage play.

I just couldn’t tell you if his character is in earlier versions of the story.

There’s also a scene where Maria and Tony are in a church: promising each other eternal love.

It’s not a wedding, per se, not a marriage: but it’s a scene that shows us quite how seriously the pair take their feelings.

But again, it’s another scene I don’t recall from the original film: nor do I remember seeing or reading an equivalent in Romeo and Juliet, the play that inspired the story.

But scene and character, and the far grittier, less theatrical sets for this version of the story?

Are great.

As are the performances.

We have quite a strong ensemble cast, here: I don’t think I saw a bad actor on the screen last night.

But?

Corey Stoll as Schrank caught my eye: having seen him in The Strain and House of Cards, seeing a familiar face, give a good performance of a well written part, was welcome.

Elgort and Zegler as the doomed main characters?

Were great: watching Rachel Zegler in the film’s climax is genuinely heart wrenching.

But, for me?

One of the two stars of the film were Rita Moreno as Valentina: this film’s version of Doc was stupendous.   As stupendous as she was as Anita, in the original film.

The other, Ariana DeBose, as this film’s version of Anita … was simply breathtaking.

There is very little more I can tell you about this version of West Side Story.

Apart from one last thing.

I think remakes of films can be shaky things to do.

The 1988 remake of 1958’s The Blob had a terrible reputation.

I know no-one who went near the 2003 remake of The Italian Job.

This version of West Side Story, on the other hand?

And this may well be something to do with the choice of Spielberg as director.

But this version of West Side Story is simply breathtaking: as breathtaking as DeBose’s performance.

Seeing it is a must.

West Side Story.

★★★★⁺