"It's like I'm always just about to fall off the edge of the world's tallest building. I stopped falling the second I saw you."
Why do we keep going back to the theater to see remakes of West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet when we know what the ending is going to be? Why do we keep going back to the theatre when we know our hearts will be ripped out of our chests by the end just like it was the last time?
The reason humans love star-crossed lovers in films is that every time we go, we hope it has a different ending. We hope the writers and directors didn't take too much inspiration from Shakespeare or Arthur Laurents. We hope that Tony and Maria live happily ever after. We hold the arms of our theater seats and listen to every scene and song, praying that we leave the theater happy. Yet, the tragic ending is always the same.
West Side Story (2021) is a spectacle. West Side Story (1961) is my favorite musical of all time, so its story and songs hold a big place in my heart. My dad likes to credit him singing "Maria" to me as a baby as the reason I went into theatre in high school and now film in college. I went into the theater with many doubts, for reasons I will get into, but came out the other end completely in awe.
I will not decide the winner of the West Side Story battle for you. You are going to have to watch and decide for yourself.
I shouldn't have to say a spoiler warning here because the original has been out for 60 years. If you haven't seen a version of West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet yet, why?
Hearing songs like Maria, Cool, and Tonight made me feel nostalgic. I listen to the soundtrack from the original film frequently, especially after the recent passing of Stephen Sondheim. The cast of this film sang their heart out. They did a spectacular job turning the songs into their own while staying true to the original writer's vision. The order of a few songs was different than the original. Cool is sung before Riff and Bernardo's death and now includes Tony, which has never happened in any remake I have seen. Rita Moreno, who plays Valentina, gets to sing Somewhere towards the end of the film, which changes the song that Maria sings when Tony dies. The changes in order suited the film exceptionally well and set it aside from the original.
I am no dancer, but the dancing from the key cast and the ensemble was jaw-dropping. Justin Peck, the choreographer, embraced the moves and ideas from the original film: jets snapping their fingers, circle inside a circle at the dance, etc. I used the word nostalgic already, but there is no better word to describe the choreography than nostalgic.
Rachel Zegler. Rachel Zegler. Rachel Zegler. What an astonishing film debut as Maria. She knocked it out of the park. For those of you who don't know where she got her fame, in 2018, she posted a video of herself singing "Shallow" from A Star Is Born in an empty auditorium. The video got over 7 million views on Twitter and 8 million views on Youtube. She auditioned for the part of Maria, and the rest was history. I think she did a fantastic job giving the audience exactly what they wanted while also creating her own version of Maria.
Ariana DeBose tugged on my heartstrings a little too hard. Anita is such a complicated character and has the most noticeable character change from the beginning to the end of the film, and DeBose nailed it. I know DeBose from her role in A Bronx Tale, and her voice is just as angelic now as it was then. I cannot wait to see what she does next.
I am a theatre nerd, so when I saw that Mike Faist would be playing Riff, I screamed. Some of you may know him from Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. I couldn't help but blow him a kiss every time he was on screen. He embodied the part of Riff and I can't think of anyone else who could have done it better.
David Alvarez gave us a whole new perspective on the character Bernardo. I felt more sympathetic towards Bernardo in the 2021 version than in the 1961 version. I know David Alvarez from his days in Billy Elliot with none other than Tom Holland, so it is incredible to see where the two of them ended up today. Alvarez is a true theatre performer, which is apparent through his singing and dancing. I am also excited to see what he does next in his career.
I can't forget to mention the fantastic ensemble of both the Jets and the Sharks. Wow. We should praise the authentic casting of each role and the truly outstanding performances from each member of the ensemble. Each actor added their own quirk and personality to their characters, making them stand out on screen. It was so much fun to see actors I love from other projects sing and dance with each other. Iris Menas did a spectacular job as Anybodys. Josh Andrés Rivera surprised me as Chino. Kyle Allen, from another top movie of the year for me The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, was a great Balkan and really made the character his own. Ben Cook, who we all know and love from Newsies the musical, played Mouthpiece. I wish he had more screentime because I love him dearly. I could go on about the rest of the cast, but we would be here all day.
Ansel. Oh, Ansel. What have you done? Let's separate the art from the artist and put aside the allegations against him for this part.
Contrary to popular belief, I think Ansel's version of Tony was great. He is no musical theatre performer, but his voice fits. On Tik Tok, I see a lot of fan casting videos of who would be a better Tony, and while I agree with some of them, I think Ansel did the role justice... for the most time. When I watch the original West Side Story film, I swoon over Tony. I understand why Maria fell in love with him at first sight. With Ansel, I did not get that same feeling. I can't tell if that is because of who Ansel is as a person or his acting. To me, it didn't seem like Ansel really connected to Tony as a character for the whole film. There is one scene where Valentina tells Tony that Maria is dead that I genuinely believed Ansel was Tony. The tears coming from his eyes were genuine. I wish I felt that way about the whole film.
I am a sucker for romance, so I can tell when actors have chemistry and when they don't. I felt the attraction between Bernardo and Anita. That is the nature of their characters: very flirty and physical all the time (especially when dancing). With Tony and Maria, the entire reason we are watching this film, we are supposed to feel the chemistry when they are together and even when they are apart. I didn't feel that with Ansel and Rachel. I knew they were in love because of the lyrics, camera work, and the fact that they are playing two iconic romantic characters. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have necessarily believed in their love at first sight.
Overall, West Side Story (2021) is one of the best films of the year. Does it have its flaws? Yes. However, I think Steven Spielberg created a breathtaking film that I will not forget about for a long time. Movie geeks like me know that there aren't many romantic musicals listed in Steven Spielberg's repertoire. He is known for his emotional dramas and action films like Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park. I do not know him for films with contents like West Side Story, but I am pleasantly surprised by him this time. I congratulate the entire crew of this production because I know without them, the vision and aesthetic execution of the film would not be possible.
So, I will continue to go back to the theater whenever there is a new remake of West Side Story or Romeo and Juliet. Even though I know that the ending will most likely be the same and that I will be coming out of the theatre crying and in shock, I won't stop coming back. There is something in the depths of my mind that will not let go of the possibility that I will see Tony and Maria happy one day. I'm determined to live until I see it or make my own. Yet, a subconscious part of me also doesn't want to see the story change because then, it would be the story that we all know and love. It would be something entirely different.
Do I dare say that this film is better than the original? No. There are aspects of the 2021 version that are much better. However, the significance the 1961 version has on the history of musical theatre and film is unmatched. Those are just my thoughts, so form your own opinions and let me know on my Instagram @thebetzbreakdown. I would love to hear what you all have to say when you watch the new West Side Story by Steven Spielberg out in theaters now!!
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