West Side Story Then Was Sad and Wonderful. West Side Story Now is Dark and Refreshing
Photo by Myke Simon on Unsplash
West Side Story is iconic. Originally written in 1957 for the stage and produced only four years later on film, it’s one of the most well-known stories of all time. So when a remake was announced in 2018, there was some hesitation. Now, again almost four years later, you’ve probably heard all the feedback: It’s a masterpiece. A box office flop. Regressive and exhilarating.
Actually? It is remarkable. Right off the bat in the first interactions among characters, there is a darker tonal shift compared to the 1961 film. The Jets are not as wisecracking and flippant but kids who are a little more broken and trying to get through their otherwise vacant lives. The Sharks are intense and intimidating, strangers in a strange land, simultaneously learning how to come up and get by.
The original film has a wholesome quality to it, despite the violence that culminates into a dark, painful ending. This one, however, has small tweaks that although darker, seem more appealing to a modern audience without removing the film from its definitive time period.
The boys are somewhat more destructive. The women are slightly more outspoken. The dancing is more athletic and the fighting more vicious. There is an actual acknowledgement of gender identity. But those are things that make it feel more real. The wholesome quality of the original film, though sweet and fun, feels outdated.
Reformatting to the original stage-play arrangement provides some new perspectives and opportunities for deeper irony and conflict. Combined with the overall darker tone, there is an almost-palpable tension that accelerates as the story glides through its stunning cinematography.
Reformatting also provides room for more dialogue, which in turn reveals more texture and background for the characters and these wildly separate but overlapping worlds they reside in. Some scenes were streamlined in a way that served the film and its pace well; again, better suited for a modern audience. Some of the dialogue and songs were updated to reflect modern societal expectations or even reverted to the original writings, pre-1961 film censoring regulations.
And oh, the songs. The songs and choreography are familiar, intricate and smooth. The music doesn’t sound or feel sped up, but the choreography is quick, acrobatic and light on its feet. Anyone familiar with the original film and choreography will see tiny bits and pieces that have been plucked out, twisted up and around, and placed back into the new film like little rain droplets of movement.
Overall as musical numbers, they’re just fun to watch. They’re an argumentative escapade, a roughhouse rodeo and a chaotic circus. Sometimes they’re short and sweet, and sometimes they’re dreamy and oblivious.
There is one standout moment that, although hard to watch, is much needed in our modern media: a moment of “our-cultural-and-racial-differences-don’t-matter-because-there-is-another-woman-who-needs-our-help” type of moment. It’s heartbreaking and powerful, even without much more vocally than fevered shouting.
It would, of course, be remiss not to mention Rita Moreno, returning to fill the shoes of shopkeeper. She was wonderful then, as Anita, and she is wonderful now. Even at 90 years old, she projects a youthfulness that suggests she has learned from her life’s lessons but hasn’t forgotten how it feels to be young and in love.
West Side Story is not without a handful of eccentric amendments, but it brings more depth and discussion to its racial conflicts and the violence that goes hand-in-hand with any Romeo and Juliet-based narrative and supplies a refreshed and colorful perspective to a well-loved and enduring classic.
Emily Cunningham is a freelance magazine writer with a passion for wildlife conservation, civil and societal issues, and artistic pursuits including dance, creative writing, and handmade art.
