Remakes & Reboots: West Side Story (1961) vs. West Side Story (2021)

Since its 1957 Broadway debut, “West Side Story” has become a contemporary musical classic and a staple among high school theatre departments. The show was directed by choreographer Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim. Most theatre nerds have either performed the musical or hummed many of its memorable tunes like “Somewhere,” “America,” “Maria,” or “Tonight.” 

The musical is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,” updating the star-crossed romance to New York’s 1950’s west side. The warring families are now rival gangs, the Puerto Rican “Sharks” battling the white, street-smart “Jets,” with the former “Jet” member Tony falling for Maria, the sister of “Shark” leader Bernardo. And the show keeps the spine, and basic beats of the Shakespeare play but brilliantly blends in elements of the traditional stage musical.

“West Side Story” received not one but two screen translations. Both film adaptations bear striking similarities and fascinating differences. The original 1961 is a movie musical masterpiece showing the stamp of the stage show’s creators in every frame. In contrast, the 2021 remake is the mark of one of cinema’s greatest directors wanting to honor and update the material for a new generation. 

Let’s compare both versions of this “story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” 

WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

Chad’s Grade: A

Hollywood was eager to do a film version of the Broadway 1957 smash. MGM, still the big studio in the 1960s and home to such movie musical classics like “Singing in the Rain,” snatched up the rights. Jerome Robbins, who conceived and choreographed the stage show, insisted that he direct, but MGM executives declined, wanting a steadier hand for their significant investment. They brought in Robert Wise to co-direct with Robbins, with Wise handling the dramatic scenes and Robbins in charge of the musical sequences.

“West Side Story” marked a turning point for the MGM musical, which peaked in 1958 with “Gigi.” Many of the classic musicals were frothy, technicolor affairs starring Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, or Fred Astaire in romantic comedies with the Hollywood happy endings. By contrast, “West Side Story” told a dark, grittier story that featured characters being killed on-screen and dealing with social issues like racism and immigration. And several more musicals in the 1960s, like “Gypsy” and even “The Sound of Music,” incorporated darker and mature elements into their storylines.

The 1961 version stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as doomed lovers Maria & Tony, respectively. Rita Moreno became the breakout star with her Oscar-winning performance as the feisty Anita and George Chakiris as Shark leader Bernardo. Rounding out the cast is Russ Tamblyn as a bouncy and energetic Riff, the head honcho of the Jets.

The cast makes the 1961 film shine, despite all being dubbed, except for Chakiris, singing-wise. Yes, even Moreno was dubbed for “A Boy Like That,” but she did sing “America.” And Moreno is the clear standout. She’s like a firecracker every time she’s on-screen. Both her and Chakiris, also strong as Bernardo, were the rare, fully realized characters of color in 1960s Hollywood.

The spectacular dance sequences directed by Jerome Robbins make the original superior to the Spielberg remake. The Broadway choreography was groundbreaking, with Robbins blending different dance elements like ballet and jazz with a tough, street-smart swagger. This quality is evident from the opening skirmish between the rival gangs, with Jets and Sharks pirouetting through city alleyways like in a stylized ballet. The “America” number, performed as a battle of the sexes between the Sharks, is a showcase for Moreno. She glides over the rooftop in that iconic purple dress, teasing Bernardo with a fiery sexiness. Another showstopper is “Cool,” with the Jets moving with righteous anger as they dance in the shadows of an underground garage, their forms outlined by car headlights.

I should single out Natalie Wood, who, along with Elizabeth Taylor, was one of the more exciting actresses in the 1960s. She was in her prime in 1961, and it was clear that MGM saw “West Side Story” as a vehicle for Wood. And Wood was a decent dancer and singer, appearing in “Gypsy” with Rosalind Russell just a year later. But she’s miscast as Maria; not only is she too old to be playing a teenage ingenue, but she’s not Puerto Rican, resulting in a brownface performance.

And most of the negative marks I give the original “West Side Story” is the result of the restrictive censorship code of the time. Maria had to be white due to the romance with the white Tony. And all the Puerto Rican characters were forced to wear dark, heavy makeup to make them look more “ethnic.” Despite the movie version being a faithful adaptation of the Broadway show, several lines and lyrics were reworked and toned down. The “America” number was heavily re-written by Sondheim due to the song’s anti-Puerto Rican sentiment.

The 1961 original “West Side Story” was a big hit and won a whopping 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Supporting wins for both Moreno and Chakiris. The film became an instant classic and the last of the once great MGM musical. It’s considered one of the pinnacle examples of the musical format, and there have been dozens of Broadway revivals since its 1957 debut. And many of the surviving cast members like Moreno and Tamblyn have appeared on countless talk shows to reminisce and keep the classic film alive.

“West Side Story” was put on that rare list of movies that should never be remade. Or so we thought….

WEST SIDE STORY (2021)

Chad’s Grade: B+

Steven Spielberg has gone on record that he always wanted to do a musical. And you can see a little of that musical DNA in many of his films. He opened his 1984 “Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom” with Kate Capshaw singing “Anything Goes” in Mandarin, complete with a chorus of backup dancers that would make Busby Berkley blush. And his 1985 “The Color Purple” featured Shug Avery belting many musical moments, including “God’s trying to tell you something” as she marches to embrace her preacher father in one of the movie’s most emotional beats.

The secret ingredient for the 2021 “West Side Story” is Tony Kushner, the celebrated screenwriter who worked with Spielberg on “Munich” and “Lincoln.” The director convinced Kushner to update the Broadway show, streamlining the dialogue and removing the old school cheese, keeping the musical’s numbers primarily intact. And Kushner did a fantastic job of reconceiving the entire piece, even the musical numbers, in a more cinematic way. Gone is the “pow, pow” and “hey boy-o” style lingo, replaced with a grittier, more grounded dialogue.

Spielberg cast primarily unknowns in the title roles, many from Broadway and all triple threats. Which meant no dubbing; everyone was doing their singing and dancing. Playing Tony & Maria is Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler, Ariana Debose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, and Mike Faist as Jet leader Riff.

Like her counterpart Moreno, Debose stole the show as Anita and won a much-deserved Oscar. Debose’s Anita is more subtle, sassy, and more fully realized. This new Anita has bought into the American dream, heart & soul. It’s heartbreaking to see that dream destroyed once the Jets brutally assault her late in the film. Bernardo is the most drastically reconceived character, now a brutish boxer, with Alvarez giving him a tough cynicism. And praise should be given to Mike Faist, who plays Riff with a snarky, street-smart edge.

Much criticism was leveled at Ansel Elgort’s portrayal of Tony, but I thought he was fine, showing a surprisingly good singing voice. Unfortunately, he was paired with newcomer Rachel Zegler who proved to be a supernova of charisma and talent. Ziegler is astonishing as Maria, gifted with a gorgeous voice, who updates the ingenue role into something compelling. Poor Tony doesn’t stand a chance when she flashes that beautiful smile at the high school dance.

And the 2021 remake brings back Rita Moreno, playing Valentina, the widowed wife of the shop owner Doc. At first glance, this seemed like a saccharine and sentimental move, but the Valentina update adds a new level of insight into the doomed romance. As the Puerto Rican wife of a “gringo” shop owner, Moreno’s eyes flash with sadness at Tony’s whirlwind romance. She knows these two kids will face a lifetime of hardship and hate due to their mixed pairing. And her version of the classic “Somewhere” is the movie’s most heartfelt number.

It’s fascinating to see how the filmmakers completely recontextualize many of the musical numbers. “America” is staged cinematically through the city streets like a classic technicolor MGM musical. The “Cool” number is now a battle of wills between Tony and Riff, as Tony pleads with the Jets to cancel the rumble. The groan-worthy “I Feel Pretty” is a fun and frothy romp sung by Maria and her co-workers as they clean a classic department store. And you can sense Spielberg having a field day behind the camera as he creatively films the musical sequences. At times he’s just showing off with long steady-cam shots that perfectly capture his talented cast in all their triple threat glory.

There’s one criticism that can apply to both cinematic adaptations. The rushed nature of the romance makes it hard to buy into, especially with the Anita, Bernardo, and Riff’s storylines being much more interesting. This is inherent in the source material, but the realistic reworking of the 2021 remake makes it much more implausible. The story takes place over a 48-hour period, where Tony & Maria meet-cute at the dance, then, 24 hours later, Tony is shot, dying in Maria’s arms. It’s a tough pill to swallow when Maria instantly forgives Tony for killing her brother Bernardo. The actors do much heavy lifting, especially Zegler and Debose, during their “A Boy Like That” duet to make it seem briefly believable.

Spielberg’s “West Side Story” was a big hit with critics, nabbing 7 Oscar nominations, with Debose winning Best Supporting Actress. But the movie flopped at the box office, a significant loss for Fox/Disney. The film was marketed to older audiences, who were reluctant to venture out to theatres during the Covid/Omicron surge in early December. Also, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was in full swing, hogging the spotlight and box office receipts.

IN CONCLUSION:

If you’re a fan of movie musicals, the 1961 classic is a must-see, especially for Moreno’s iconic performance as Anita. And the original is the closest representation you’ll get of the Broadway show, keeping much of Jerome Robbins’ influential choreography.

I know purists scoffed and dismissed the Spielberg remake, but it’s a fantastic movie musical on its own terms. It shows how you can completely reconceive a stage show and make it seem fresh and new. Also, this is classic Spielberg at the top of his game, clearly re-energized by directing a movie musical.