West Side Story, Explained - All The Differences Between The Films
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มี.ค. 2022
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Did you catch how much changed between the classic West Side Story and the 2021 remake? In Stephen Spielberg’s movie we’re still witness a turf war between the white Irish-American and Polish-American Jets, and the Puerto Rican Sharks. But despite the overlap, the update to Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' 1961 film diverges in many notable ways. So what's different, and what's the same?
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Even though Anita's assault in the updated version is brutal and even harder to watch than the original a detail I love that they included was the white women associated with the jets begging them not to hurt her. Showing that despite their racial and cultural differences these women are looking out for each other and are appalled at the danger the jets put Anita in. I love how it enforces the feminine bond despite these women not knowing or really understanding each other.
One aspect of the story that I never quite bought was Maria forgiving Tony far too easily. Yes, he's genuinely remorseful, yes, he wanted to turn himself into the police, and yes, it was an accident, but girl, HE STILL KILLED YOUR BROTHER! If I were in Maria's position, the last thing that I would be doing was sleeping with the guy who took my brother's life.
I love how they brought the legandary Rita Moreno back as Valentina, her rendition of "Somewhere" brought tears to my eyes. Also, I liked the detail of her being Doc's Widow, and being given that they were in an interracial relationship, like Tony and Maria, she's able to give them some advice.
Romeo and Juliet was never a love story. It was always a tragedy.
As a Puerto Rican, the scene where Anita said "yo no soy americana, yo soy puertorriqueña", destroyed me. As a female, seeing the white woman scream and beg them not to rape Anita, made me realize that they had more in common with each other probably than with the men of their ethnicity, just because of the way women were treated as second class citizens. The latter, in the same way that these lower class citizens, believed each other to be the problem, when in fact, they probably had more in common with each other than with the higher social class of their own ethnicity. The intersectionality explored in this musical is devastating.
I really loved how the backstories of multiple characters were expanded upon, especially Anybodys, Tony and Chino. It was interesting to have Anybodys, typically a tomboy, become Trans here, especially with the 1950's setting. Tony spending time in jail for almost killing someone adds more depth to his character than simply getting bored with the Jets, and Chino having a promising future is more tragic.
No matter how you spin it, it just wasn't as good
I'm surprised they didn't mention that Anybodys is trans here and played by a non-binary actor. I remember picking up hints that it might've been the case when first watching the 2021 version, but after looking it up confirmed that to be the case I thought it was an excellent addition. Especially since the Jets actually accept his identity in the end
Rita Moreno is an international treasure.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
The new Riff really looks like he was transported from the 50’s. The actor did a great job.
Absolutely fell in love with Chino and OMG Anita in the new version just had me in a trance. Her dancing was just pure beauty. Cheers to steven for shining light on a tough subject and making a really enjoyable film to people like me who really are not into musicals. Hope that Anita actress gets nominated at least.
I took the re-assignment of "Somewhere" also as a meditation of the death of hope that racial prejudice would be overcome. That despite the example she and Doc tried to live out she now feels that it has yielded nothing. It fell upon deaf ears.
One thing I noticed in the 2021 attempted rape scene I didn't in the original was how the women were reacting. You can clearly seen one of them trying to bring Anita with her as she's taken out. It reinforces Valentina's line.
My mom was a child and teen of the 60s and introduced me to this musical and other musicals. It has always been one of my favorites. I've watched the new one twice and I have to say that I enjoyed both films. 😉 Both are very good films in their own way.
Rita Moreno herself was assaulted at a young age. I wonder even today if her speech at the end where she confronts the Jets was cathartic in some way.
I haven't seen the movie, but from the tiny clip they showed the version of the anthem (La Borinqueña) that the Puertorricans sing in the movie isn't the official version, but rather a version that revolutionaries have sung and still sing as a symbol of rejection of the colonialism we endure to this day.
My takeaway is that Riff and Valentina (Mike Faist and Rita Moreno) needed to be be nominated for Supporting Actor/Actress. They were the standouts for sure.
I sort of wished they had subtitled the Spanish. I've seen other movies ridiculed for not subtitling foreign languages, as it tends to distance the audience from those characters. I like the idea of making it seem like a real bilingual conversation, but as a non-speaker I missed parts of the conversation.