Steven Spielberg’s update ofWest Side Storyis one of those rare remakes that isperfectly able to capture the same energy and magic as the original. Based on the stage musical from the late ’50s,West Side Storyretells the classic tale ofRomeo and Julietamidst New York street gangs.
The 1961 version from director Robert Wise is already considered to be one of the greatest movie musicals ever made. It ended up walking away with 10 Oscars, the highest amount ever earned from a musical, along with an honorary award for co-director Jerome Robbins. Even by today’s standards, the originalWest Side Storyis still a magnetic and powerful musical and an absolute must-watch for any fan of the genre.
RELATED:Best Comedy Movies of 2021
Remaking a film with such a legacy was always going to be a tall order.Fortunately, celebrated director Steven Spielbergwas up to the task. Updating the movie to modern cinematic standards, Spielberg’s take onWest Side Storystill retains all of the essentials from the musical classic. While the remake mostly stays faithful to the original, Spielberg does employ some changes that make the 2021 version a different viewing experience.
Unlike most Hollywood remakes, the two film versions ofWest Side Storyaren’t necessarily better or worse than each other; rather, they’re different enough in small but significant ways that make them both equally amazing.
6Valentina Replaces Doc
In both the stage play and the 1961 film, Tony is working at a drug store run by an older man named Doc. In the original movie, Doc acts as a simple but effective father figure for Tony. His store also works as a neutral zone for the Sharks and the Jets. While his role in the story isn’t necessarily huge, he and his store still have an emotional impact on the plot; much of the film’s climactic emotional beats take place at Doc’s drug store.
In the remake, Doc is replaced by a new character, Valentina. She’s played by Rita Moreno, arguably the most iconic actress from the 1961 original. She notably won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita, making her the first Hispanic woman in history to win the award. Spielberg knew that she had to make an appearance in the updated version, so screenwriter Tony Kushner rewrote Doc as Valentina. She functionally serves the same purpose as Doc did in the original; though since her character is Puerto Rican, she helps out Tony with his Spanish and gives him advice on his relationship with Maria.
Valentina also sings the song “Somewhere”, originally sung by Tony to Maria late in the film to comfort her. While that scene is missed, Moreno sings it beautifully. With both her acting and singing, Moreno hasn’t lost a touch of her talent.
5More Spanish
Considering that so many characters inWest Side Storyare Puerto Rican, it would make sense that at least a couple of Spanish words would pop up here and there. In the 1961 version, the characters spoke very little Spanish. Hollywood movies in the early ’60s were primarily made for English-speaking audiences, so while it isn’t entirely accurate, it does make sense as to why studios would be hesitant to put too much Spanish into the movie. An occasional phrase or two does make an appearance in that movie, though they’re few and far between.
RELATED:Best Christmas Movies On Disney+
Times have changed since the early ’60s, and Hollywood has foundthe value of putting accuracy and inclusivity into their movies. As opposed to the original, Spielberg has entire lines and even conversations play out mostly through Spanish. The most interesting choice here is that the Spanish isn’t subtitled, which one might expect from an American film. Spielberg has stated in interviews that he did this"out of respect for the inclusivity of our intentions to hire a totally Latinx cast". This decision actually ends up making the world ofWest Side Storymore real and immersive, even to audiences who don’t speak the language. It’s also a testament to the powerful acting and directing; despite not knowing what characters are saying, anyone can deduct the essence behind the dialogue.
4More Diversity
The 1961 version ofWest Side Storyis an undeniable staple in musical film, though certain aspects of its casting don’t hold up very well today. In the original movie, Maria is played by Natalie Wood. She does an excellent job in the role, though Wood isn’t Puerto Rican or even Latina like her character; she’s Russian. Rita Moreno was one of the few actresses who was actually Puerto Rican, but even then, there was some uncomfortable racism on the set. The Sharks were forced to wear makeup that darkened their skin to the same color as each other. This was especially strange with Moreno as she had to wear the same makeup despite already being Latina.There are plenty of worthwhile classic films to watch, though Hollywood has a history of falling short in this aspect.
Fortunately, the 2021 remake was able to fix that. Nearly all of the Sharks in Spielberg’sWest Side Storyare either Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent. Though audiences wouldn’t know by watching her, this is actually Rachel Zegler’s first on-screen appearance as an actress. At the age of 20, she plays Maria with such passion that anyone would swear she was an experienced actress. Spielberg took a risk by hiring a complete unknown for one of the leads inWest Side Story. Of Colombian descent, she does help bring the character of Maria back to her Hispanic origins. Spielberg’sWest Side Storyalso adds in a black character by the name of Abe and implies that the character of Anybodys is transgender, just to further make the movie accurately reflect New York City.
3The Rumble
Apart from the doomed romance between Tony and Maria, much of the tension in the first half ofWest Side Storyis built on “the rumble”; a standoff between the Jets and the Sharks. The reasons for the rumble changes slightly between the two film adaptations, however. In the original, the rumble is set up from the very beginning. After the highly enjoyable introduction to both gangs, they decide to plan a rumble in order to decide who will control the territory they’re fighting over.
RELATED:Best Movies of 2021
2021’s rumble is more closely tied to Tony and Maria’s affair. Instead of being planned, the rumble is merely suggested after the opening scene. Later on, both the Jets and the Sharks are attending a dance, which is where Tony and Maria first meet. The two share a small, private dance briefly before they’re interrupted by Maria’s brother Bernardo. He then agrees with Riff to the rumble, but only if Tony also attends. This adds a bit of tension for Tony, whose backstory emphasizes him being on parole after being imprisoned for nearly beating a kid to death. The rumbles themselves mostly play out the same; the main difference being that in the original it takes place under a highway, while in the remake it takes place in a warehouse.
2Context of “Cool”
Of course,Spielberg’sWest Side Storycontains all of the great iconic songs from the 1961 original, though it does make a few changes. The song that arguably changes the most between adaptations is the song “Cool”. In the original, “Cool” is sung by the character Ice to the Jets. Here, the song takes place after the rumble. On their way to Doc’s drug store, Ice sings the song as a way to calm the rest of the Jets before the “war council”.
Spielberg instead shifts around “Cool”, placing it before the rumble instead of after. Riff has gotten himself a gun while preparing for the rumble. When Tony finds out about this, he sings “Cool” as a way of convincing Riff to give him the gun. What’s strange is that despite the context of the song changing entirely, it still works as the lyrics can be perfectly applied to both situations. There’s still tension within the song either way.
No musical is completewithout at least some dancing, and inWest Side Story, the dance choreography changes, too. The original features some fake fighting as Ice attempts to cool the Jets down with their iconic snapping. In the remake, the choreography changes to focus on Tony frequently trying and failing to get the gun from Riff. Even then, the dancing in both is magnificent.
1Locations of the Songs
Some Hollywood remakes are clones of their originals, while others seem entirely different. TheWest Side Storyremake, however, remains relatively faithful, even down to its musical numbers. However, the environments in which they’re performed change drastically.
The first major change comes in “America”; in the original, it’s sung entirely on the apartment rooftop on the night of the dance. In the remake, the song takes place the morning after and is sung throughout the streets of New York. Anita, Bernado, and the other Sharks sing the song from their apartments all the way through the New York markets.
“Gee, Officer Krupke” also has a change of scenery. Both the stage play and the 1961 film has it taking place in an alley, whereas the new movie has the Jets sing it in the police precinct after the titular Officer Krupke has stepped out.
“I Feel Pretty” shifts from being in a bridal shop to inside Grimbles, which is where Maria works in the remake. The song also takes place after the rumble instead of before. This could be seen as a nice break from the tension or an issue with the film’s pacing, depending on audience members' opinions.
“One Hand, One Heart” also changes from a bridal shop to a church; by extension, the location of Tony and Maria’s date also changes. Even with these environmental changes, the directing and choreography of both are an immense amount of fun. New locations allow both versions to feel fresh and original, despite telling the same story.
