The timeless musical West Side Story has been mesmerizing fans for about 65 years. On December 10, a brand new adaptation hit the big screen in an explosion of colors and music. 

The phenomenal reimagining stars amazing young actors, many of whom have starred on Broadway. The movie features Rachel Zegler (Maria), Ansel Elgort (Tony), David Alvarez (Bernardo), Mike Faist (Riff), and Ariana Debose (Anita). Rita Moreno, who originated Anita, came back to play a role that was specifically made for her-Valentina- who is a reimagining of the original Doc.

The stunning film was brought to life by an amazing team led by director and producer Steven Spielberg with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Steven Sondheim as well as the screenplay by Tony Kushner. It was also produced by Moreno and Adam Somner

The modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet opened on Broadway in 1957 and later became a movie in 1961. The story is set in 1950s New York City. It follows the Jets (Caucasians) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans), rival gangs who are fighting for territory. But when two people involved on opposite sides fall in love, trouble brews. Even though it was received well by theater fans, the original movie didn’t come without its questionable decisions.  

In 1961, the movie cast was made up of almost all Caucasian actors despite the fact that the characters are pretty evenly split between Puerto Ricans and Caucasians. In fact, Rita Moreno, who played Anita, was the only actual Hispanic in the cast. She and her white co-stars had to darken their skin. There was a multitude of problems with representation in the original film that left a lot of people feeling unseen. 

One of Spielberg’s goals was to improve upon the representation of the original film. They cast actual Hispanic people, greatly improving the quality of the film. The production team also decided to ditch the subtitles fearing that it would disrespect the Spanish language and immediately make English the dominant language.  

West Side Story (2021) is a cinematic masterpiece meant to be enjoyed. The singing, dancing, acting, and colors light up the screen in a new and fresh take of the beloved classic. Each cast member was phenomenal in each role and embodied their character so well. The emotion and talent they brought to the stage elevated the movie’s overall quality. The casting was really well done and I can’t imagine any other cast coming to play these roles. The dancing and singing were beautiful, and I cannot stress how amazing the cast was and the soundtrack adds to the beauty. 

They made a few changes that honestly elevated the movie and I thought were really helpful to the plot. A few songs were switched around and even sung by other people. For example, the song “Cool” is sung by Riff and Tony instead of the Jets but every change thoroughly enhanced the film. 

West Side Story (2021) has had a few box office troubles that I think are due to a multitude of problems. One is the fact that movie theaters aren’t as big as they used to be and Covid-19 has definitely hurt them. This also came out around the same time as Spiderman: No Way Home, and people were putting all of their money into that particular film. 

However, the box office issues don’t show anything about the quality of the movie and it’s definitely a must-watch for musical fans everywhere. The breathtaking emotional experience of West Side Story will keep you on the edge of your seat with a love story as relevant as ever.