West Side Story (2021)

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tsom
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Love, love, love this movie!!! Have seen it three times already. Might see it again tomorrow for Christmas!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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I’ve become obsessed with the 2021 WSS, the same way I became obsessed with the 1961 film when I first saw it 40 years ago!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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To me, West Side Story was always more kinetic than other musicals, the story wasn't just told by the songs, but by the choreography as well, there are much less dancing in this film than the original, and the few dancing there is relies more on camera movements than the actual choreography.

The story itself is not really a logical one, which is fine - most stories are, but the original had a somewhat dreamy, "magical" or fantastical quality to it, so it sort of makes the decisions made by Maria more "understandable" I guess, sort of like why we get that the dwarfs make the corpse of Snow White the centerpiece of a shrine made for her - it's fairytale logic. But the 2021 version want to make it as gritty and realistic as possible, so the relationship between Tony and Maria just breaks apart because it doesn't make sense in the "world" that us presented to us.

The characters' backstories are unnecessary and don't add anything, same with how I thought about all those unnecessary additions to Beauty and the Beast remake. Who cares that Bernardo is also a boxer, I guess it explains why he punches so well?!?
Valentina got way more screentime than she should have, giving her the song Somewhere with the way it was presented was a mistake, the song lost its meaning and was no longer about Tony and Maria (yes I know that in the musical they don't sing it but it was still about them). In addition the placement of I Feel Pretty was ridiculous, it works after an intermission, in this film it didn't.
Tony seemed to be bored with Maria unlike in the original where Tony actually seemed in love with her.

I guess that's it, the craftsmanship was good and if there wasn't a superior version, I'd have probably watched this one again, but as it is, it just feels pointless and not really groundbreaking in any way.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

Post by TheSequelOfDisney »

^ I agree with all of these points.

What I didn't like:

- Ansel Elgort. To be fair, Tony isn't really an interesting character, but he just felt incredibly bland when compared to everyone else. Also his backstory didn't feel strong enough to merit its inclusion. I never needed to know why Tony wasn’t part of the Jets anymore. It just felt irrelevant. Actually, none of the new backstories merited inclusion. They only made everyone more tragic for no reason. Backstories aren't character development.
- Rita Moreno. She's a very talented performer, but her inclusion and new character and her singing "Somewhere" felt very gimmicky and shoe-horned in. I understand the desire to include her as kind of a branch to the 1961 film but it felt off to me. While "Somewhere" wasn't sung by Tony and Maria in the original production (but is in the 1961 film), it's still very much about them. Instead, we give an emotional song to an adult character. There's a reason no adults sing in the musical. This is very much a kids' fantasyland. (This is why the surrealist first meeting of Tony and Maria makes so much sense but feels a little flat when they go to walk behind the bleachers.) They're all so young and naïve and they don't understand the repercussions of their actions until they come face to face with them, until they learn. An adult with many years of experience who has been through a similar struggle commenting on it all alone to herself in her store doesn't make sense. I actually think Spielberg just doesn't understand the intent musical. Or if he does, his changes don't work.
- Considerably less dancing in the non-dance sequences. Dancing in the original film was another form of emotional expression, in addition to singing and dialogue. (Which is, you know, kind of a main tenent of musical theater.) That did not seem to be a concern here. Instead, because this has to be super gritty and realistic now because that's what the Academy/Spielberg favors, we just get regular walking and regular fighting and I think you lose a lot of characterization this way.
- Going from the rumble to "I Feel Pretty" was super jarring. I understand that that’s how the original production went, but there was also an intermission between the two so there was time for the rumble to sink in.
- Excessive lens flares. And a lot of the film looked flat and muted to me, desaturated. Even the bright colors during "America" didn't really pop. I know some people love the cinematography, but it looked dull to me. I guess that was the intent with the grittier realistic tone of the film, but it's still ugly.
- Still no Puerto Ricans! The only thing Spielberg needed to do to make this film "better" was cast Puerto Ricans for the major Puerto Rican roles and he did not. We still only have Rita Moreno. Yes, Ariana DeBose's father is Puerto Rican, but could they not find any actors directly from Puerto Rico? Any of his other changes become moot because he still didn't give us accurate representation. Obviously casting Latino actors instead of having white actors in brown face is better, but he still messed up on that point and that's really irritating.

Ultimately, this feels like a drama with the songs thrown in. This was probably my most anticipated film this year, and it ended up being so mediocre and boring to me. There are some good parts but a lot of bad parts. I'll be sticking with the 1961 film.

I also found this very insightful discussion on YouTube that I think definitely merits a watch.
The Divulgations of One Desmond Leica: http://desmondleica.wordpress.com/
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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TheSequelOfDisney wrote: I also found this very insightful discussion on YouTube that I think definitely merits a watch.
Thank you for posting that video. I bought the soundtrack but haven't seen the film yet (I'll buy it on Blu at least). I've explained to some family members about the minor improvements that Spielberg made, but these two movie critics obviously explained it in detail and from a place of understanding. I usually am not into remakes (especially Disney though), but with WSS I was hopeful that Spielberg would make it more respectful and that there's more of a need for this remake.

I do think that it's a bit inexcusable in this day and age for them not to have cast more Puerto Ricans. I like that those film critics mentioned it in that video- that question of yes, any actor can play anyone, but should they? Yes, having Latino/Latina actors of any background is better than painting on a white actor, but representation truly does matter an nothing against those cast, such as Rachel Zegler (I adore her voice on the soundtrack), but surely there were Puerto Rican actors that could have been cast. And I like that the critics mentioned the accents... my family had mentioned that...I don't remember quite what was commented on, but something about the accents... Like how the critic said, not all Latinos/Latinas speak Spanish... I'm sure they had an accent coach on this film, right? Sorry that I'm not able to articulate my thoughts clearly on this...

I'm currently reading this article which seems a good companion piece to that video:
https://www.thecut.com/2021/12/west-sid ... ke-me.html

*Edit* the author of The Cut article articulates it well when they say, "The Boricua accents are uneven at best and cringeworthy at worst, even though Spielberg said he hired dialect coaches to “help Puerto Ricans who have lived in New York too long to remember where they came from.” (Would he use that phrasing to describe an actor with, say, Southern roots? I digress.)"
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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The guy who played Tony was the biggest turnoff from all the previews. He's neither attractive nor can he sing. I suppose he might've played in other teen romance films and that's why they cast him? Either way, I expected he would be a misfire, so not surprised to see he was disliked by those who've seen the film.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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All I can say is, on all your points guys, aside from what they did with "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere", I disagree, lol.

If I may go a little further, I'll paraphrase Film Freak. White privilege is squandered by the Jets and that and their white rage are thrown into poverty with the Puerto Rican Sharks as the rich overtake the neighborhood. Only Doc's is the standing building. Only Valentina is left before the nice apartments come in that no one in the film will be able to afford. The backstories add subtle moral complexities that drive the characters, where before their motives were naive. Tony and Riff's first talk provides clarity on why Tony isn't with the Jets anymore and what he wants. Tony doesn't want to kill Bernardo, and tries not to because he almost killed before! In "I Feel Pretty", Maria puts on a scarf she can't afford and says, "That I hardly can believe I'm real" to a white mannequin. In this film the rich are unreal, inauthentic and unempathetic to the lives struggling immigrants and the poor are forced into. Bernardo as a boxer is doing one of the few things he could to become wealthy in the country - getting destroyed for sport for the pleasure of the ruling class. Ansel Elgort is such a lunkish schlub, he looks like "a dumb Polack" Bernardo accuses him of being. It makes it all the more likely the innocent, magic-in-New York seeking Maria would fall for this distillation if White America. And "Somewhere" turns from the hopeless yearning in the '61 film to heartbroken wisdom in this film.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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I saw the '61 film for only the second time in my life Monday night. The first and only other time I saw it was in high school music class. It turns out I find the new one better. I think the backstories really add a lot, plus I prefer the direction, visuals, and singing of the new one. But in the '61 film, the wide shot of Tony and Maria seeing each other for the first time and them both on the farthest, opposite sides of the screen was really a sight to behold and was most likely not done in the 2021 film only because it would be seen as copying. Also, no music during Maria holding the gun was another thing the '61 film did better. But in the new film Tony reacts way better (as in more emotional) when he gets the news Maria is dead. So, all in all I prefer the 2021 version.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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West Side Story has won three Golden Globes, including Best Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Actress Musical or Comedy to Zegler, and Best Supporting Actress to DeBose!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Awesome! Wow, go Zegler and DeBose!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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We’re planning to see WSS again tonight! That makes 3 times for me!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Congratulations to WSS for its SEVEN Oscar nominations!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Awesome! Go West Side Story!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Coming to Disney+ on March 2nd!

https://youtu.be/dim-GjOEQ9k
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Just saw that María and Chino ( I won’t bother looking up the actors’ names) are a real life couple. To say they’re dating seems so 20th century.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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That's weird! But cute!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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I just finished watching this. Even knowing what happens, I had tears in my eyes the whole last third. It was really well done.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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So glad you watched it and felt that way, blackcauldron85!
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Yesterday I ordered a DVD copy and a Blu-ray copy of WSS from Target for around $45 total. I believe it’s being released on 3/15, the day my boyfriend and I leave for WDW. We’re so happy! We first saw WSS in Orlando on 12/12. This trip we’re seeing The Quiet Man 70th Anniversary on St Patrick’s Day. We’re headed for Raglan Road on Friday 3/18. We’re going meatless on Friday because it’s Lent, but Raglan offers great seafood choices.
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Re: West Side Story (2021)

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Enjoy your vacation! It sounds like fun!!
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