The seminal musical West Side Story debuted on stage in 1957, followed by its film adaptation five years later. While I haven’t seen the original stage production, I’m familiar with the songs and numerous homages and parodies of scenes from the 1961 film. For instance, Michael Jackson directly incorporated sequences from West Side Story into the music video for Beat It. As I’ve noted previously, Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Ready Player One, Indiana Jones Quadrilogy) remains a favorite director, having maintained relevance from the 1970s to the present. With a career spanning over five decades, his films, while not always masterpieces, are consistently well-crafted and engaging. Consequently, the announcement that Spielberg would step away from Indiana Jones 5 to direct a remake of West Side Story piqued my interest, sparking curiosity about his interpretation of this iconic musical.
Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) meet at a school dance, experiencing love at first sight. However, their affiliation with rival gangs renders their love seemingly impossible. They attempt to escape and build a life together, but fate intervenes.
While I haven’t viewed the entirety of the 1961 film starring Natalie Wood as Maria, I’ve seen enough to recognize the new version’s fidelity to the original’s structure and narrative, with some rearrangements aligning it more closely with the 1957 stage production. This adherence presents a challenge for the remake: elements that resonated 60 years ago don’t necessarily translate effectively today. The premise of Tony and Maria’s instantaneous and overwhelming love feels unconvincing. Ansel Elgort delivers a competent performance as Tony, reminiscent of his role in Edgar Wright’s underrated Baby Driver, but his chemistry with Rachel Zegler feels strained. The significant height difference further exacerbates this issue, creating an awkward on-screen dynamic. Rachel Zegler, in her film debut as Maria, performs adequately but struggles to elicit empathy for her character. This lack of chemistry undermines the film’s foundation, exposing other shortcomings.
Spielberg’s directorial expertise is evident, yet West Side Story reveals a prioritization of adhering to the original script over assessing its contemporary relevance. The film progresses through sequences with a self-conscious “remember this scene?” approach, rather than amplifying the inherent emotional depth of this musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Mismatched casting and a lack of necessary momentum in key scenes contribute to a detached and unengaging experience. Furthermore, the depiction of supposedly tough gang members engaging in choreographed dances appears incongruous and undermines their credibility. Given the numerous adaptations and parodies of West Side Story, avoiding cliché proves difficult. The decision to maintain the 1950s setting may have been a misstep; a modern reimagining could have offered a fresh perspective, updating the language and presenting something genuinely novel, rather than simply refining what has been seen before.
Ultimately, West Side Story excels in its visual presentation. The cinematography is impeccable, the environments are realistic and meticulously detailed, the set design is exceptional, and the costumes are aesthetically pleasing. However, these superficial elements are insufficient to make West Side Story particularly relevant in 2022, and the persistent question of “why remake this at all?” remains.
The Blu-ray edition boasts excellent picture quality, with clear and vibrant details and colors. The school dance sequence exemplifies this, as does the final scene, characterized by its darkness and stylized lighting. The sound mix is somewhat subdued, but after adjusting the volume, it proves adequate, filling the room with music effectively. West Side Story is also available for streaming on Disney+, where the picture quality may be slightly softer, but the audio quality is arguably superior. A significant advantage of the Blu-ray version is the inclusion of a documentary exceeding one and a half hours in length, providing comprehensive insights into the filmmaking process and highlighting the personal significance of the project for Spielberg.
In conclusion, West Side Story is a technically proficient and visually stunning film, but it ultimately lacks emotional resonance and fails to captivate. The quality of the Blu-ray edition and the inclusion of the documentary elevate the final assessment slightly.
Disney provided review copies for this assessment. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence; our reviews are conducted independently with a focus on our readers and consumers.
