‘West Side Story’ (1961) vs. ‘West Side story’ (2021)
April 15, 2022 | Dara Marie | @thornfield_laneAs I confessed in my last post, I love musicals and one of my favorites is West Side Story.
I’ve gotten a few strange looks and exclaims of “Really?!” from other musical lovers when I’ve spoken of my love for the Bernstein-Sondheim show. It may be a lesser-loved one, but I distinctly remember the first time I saw it.
It was at my Nana’s house when I was about five. One night, my Nana put it on for my older brothers and me to help us wind down for bed. I remember sitting squished beside them on the floor in front of the ancient, boxy tv in the upstairs spare bedroom. The Jet’s iconic whistles played over aerial NYC and I was hooked. I was put to bed not long after it started and was not pleased to learn my brothers got to watch more while I slept.
I went on to watch it throughout my childhood and grew sentimentally attached.
For a bit of background, it first premiered on Broadway on September 26, 1957. It’s a modern look at Shakespeare’s famous romance, “Romeo and Juliet,” set in 1950s New York City with racial tension, dance battles, and epic tap-dancing thrown in. It’s gained some notoriety recently due to the remake which came out a few months ago. But I feel I cannot discuss the remake without first mentioning the original.
West Side Story (1961)
This version will forever hold a special place in my heart.
It was a sensation upon release. Sixty-one years later, it still holds the crown for the highest Oscar-winning musical; it won ten academy awards of its eleven nominations, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Supporting Actress’.
This specific movie is one of the reasons I’m here. I’m serious! My paternal grandparents saw it together on one of their first dates and the rest is history. I’m now alive and well to write the tale.
Over the past week, I’ve found it difficult to write about this film. I expected it to be smooth sailings but struggled to get more than a handful of words down about it. I believe it’s because of its connection to my childhood. I can’t even begin to guess the times I’ve seen it. The opening all the way to the ending is forever cemented in my mind. Besides the tragic ending, it has such a fun, fairy-tale, whimsical feel. Long before I understood the plot or all the social commentary implied within its lines, its dancing and music swept me away to a place of romance and dreams. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons I’m such a hopeless romantic today.
No matter what other roles I see her in, whether Rebel Without a Cause or Miracle on 34th Street, Natalie Wood will first and foremost be Maria in my eyes. I used to sing “I Feel Pretty”, pretending to be her. Richard Beymer as Tony honestly shaped my taste in men. And I have never wished I could dance more than when watching Rita Moreno absolutely dominate the dance-heavy scene, “America.”
If you have not seen it, I recommend you do so. But keep in mind, it was made in the early 60s and it’s clearly dated by today’s standards. The cinematography was top-notch for its time but potentially dull to modern audiences. Acting has changed a lot in sixty-one years, making it difficult to properly compare. A few themes and theatric elements are downplayed due to the censorship standards at the time. While I view these as charming and endearing, I know I am heavily biased and not everyone will see it that way.
West Side Story (2021)
Originally, I was not pleased to hear about a remake for my beloved childhood favorite. I had little hope for quite a while. The first trailer piqued my interest but did not fully convince me.
“Just, please, please, please don’t ruin the original for me,” was my only request going into the theatre. Luckily, the film heard my plea and delivered a remake better than I could have hoped for.
It did everything a remake should do: paid homage to the original while not being afraid to make it its own; the main story was kept intact while weaker plot points were dropped to make room for crucial development.
The best way to sum this one up is: modern. Technology was on the top of its game. Since times have changed and more is allowed on the silver screen, the filmmakers dove deeper into the story’s darker elements. The violence is more graphic while psychological issues are addressed with a clearer voice. While the original balanced feel-good with gritty, this version favors the grit. It also addresses racial tensions at a heightened level; it hits closer to home for me following recent events in the past few years. It also highlights topics of gender (particularly transgender) the original only dared to hint at.
In every way, it’s made for a new generation of movie and theatergoers.
And we can’t talk about this movie without talking about the cast.
Rachel Zegler as Maria proves social media’s growing impact on the entertainment industry. She was only sixteen when she saw a call for auditions for ‘Maria’. She sent in a short video of herself singing ‘I Feel Pretty’ (Maria’s solo song) in Spanish and landed an audition with Steven Speilberg.
She did not disappoint in her role. I was put off at first because of how young she is (for reference, she’s only two months older than I am) compared to Natalie Wood in the original. But this is actually more accurate to the story. She fit the role of a young, potentially naive girl. Her voice is heavenly. I believe her Golden Globe win for ‘Best Actress in a Motion Picture–Musical or Comedy’ was well deserved (this broke the record for the youngest recipient of the award).
I was also hesitant about Ansel Elgort as Tony at first. I’d heard rumors he could sing and I’d seen him in a few things but had never been overly impressed. Tony was one of my first cinematic crushes so there was a lot of pressure riding on him. I was unsure up until Elgort opened his mouth to sing “Something’s Coming”. Tony’s two solos are among my top favorites in the show and the man’s velvet voice pacified me.
This film set Oscar records by having the first openly queer woman of color win the prestigious ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award. Hamilton’s Ariana Debose is reason enough to watch it. As a massive Hamilton fan myself, she was the one thing about the movie I was genuinely eager to see and she did not disappoint. Her Anita is a powerhouse, a voice of reason to Bernardo, a maternal figure for Maria, and an emotional pull for the audience. Her dancing and singing are top-notch in every scene. She’ll steal your attention and refuse to relinquish it.
Also! Rita Moreno, who won Oscar for her role as Anita in the 1961 version, returns in a minor role as shopkeeper Valentina. This might not mean anything to you, but as someone with such devotion to the original, it warmed my heart every time she was on screen. Her presence gave me hope leading up to its release.
As much as I loved it, though, nothing is perfect.
I know I started this analysis by complimenting the cinematography. And while I still appreciate it, I felt it was trying too hard at times. There were a few shots that felt like they were shoving the technology down my throat. I get it: you had a very high budget. Good for you. Can I go back to watching the movie now?
Half of the characters are Puerto Rican and in this version, they speak a fair amount of Spanish without subtitles. I really appreciate this move in a cultural sense–showing Hollywood’s continual steps toward representation, diversity, and equality. It didn’t detract anything from the story for me since I know the original so well, but the other week, I watched it with my friend who had no previous exposure to the musical. There were a few moments when she asked, “Wait, so what just happened?” and I had to give a brief plot run down. Inclusive to many, this story decision is also uninclusive for others. For this reason, I will cation newcomers to West Side Story that you might want to read up on the plot beforehand or be sure to watch with someone already familiar.
But honestly, it’s my favorite movie remake since Disney’s 2019 live-action Aladdin.
I have no doubt that somewhere, a young girl is falling in love with it for the first time and will go on to rave about it for the rest of her life just as I did with the original. And I couldn’t be happier for her.
Since seeing the remake, I’ve been asked multiple times which I prefer. Personally, I do not appreciate this question. It is incredibly unfair. So, if we ever meet in person and discuss West Side Story, refrain from asking.
For your appeasement, though, I’ll attempt to answer. I believe I will always prefer the original because of my childhood attachment. But I was pleasantly surprised by the remake. I didn’t love everything about it, but it had a lot of merit in its own right I could appreciate. While I recommend both, I suggest starting with the original since it is that. It will give you a solid base to go on for the more in-depth remake.
All in all, West Side Story is a poignant love story with social commentary and epic tap dancing. I recommend it profusely, even if you’re not a “musical-theatre” person.
Have you seen West Side Story (1961 or 2021)? Which do you perfer? I'd love to hear from you! You can connect with me through thornfield.lane@gmail.com or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter: @thornfield_lane. 