BLASPHEMY: SPIELBERG'S WEST SIDE STORY IS BETTER!

A couple of years ago, I finally broke down, gave in, call it what you will, and watched Stephen Spielberg's 2021 treatment of the beloved musical West Side Story.  While I had a few issues with it (minor ones) I'm incurred the wrath of millions of people . . . okay, tens of people by saying "This is actually a better movie than the 1961 classic."  <insert mic drop here>  

Having said that, I will admit I completely pushed the original film out of my mind before watching it.  Completely.  Entirely.  I approached this new "version" as an entirely separate beast, which, others may dispute, indeed, several have argued with me on this, but that's exactly what it is. 

Tony Kushner's new script treatment gives the characters plausibility, depth and motivation for ther actions that move the familiar Romeo and Juliet story along to its tragic conclusion.

Visually, the film is stunning delivering both eye-popping color and amazingly muted tones transporting us to the era of the story.  Two examples:  The Dance which sets up the romance between Tony and Maria.  I couldn't help but think of the hyperrealism and color schemes in David Lynch's Wild at Heart as well as Twin Peaks. Then,there was the muted greenish hues of Maria and Tony on the Subway, which brought a bit of genuine gravity to the young lovers as they're about to move into the darkness of Tony's backstory.  Both scenes, along with America and much more - flowed with an organic kind of storytelling I found both hypnotic and wildly exciting.

Did I miss Jerome Robbins iconic choreography?  Nope.  The dance here (which seems to incorporate or approximate Robbins' to some degrees) was perfect for this story.  Again, it's a different movie . . . comparisons need not be made.  At least not by me.

The singing was, overall, far better than what was heard in the snippets and clips during the promotions and all of the film's trailers.  Ansel Elgor has a real voice and it blooms  - beautifully - at the top of his range. I was mildly disappointed by his throwing away of certain phrases, usually heard at the beginnings of his songs. This was, for a voice fanatic, a bit of an oversight that should have been caught by someone during the coaching of the role.  Did it ruin anything for me? Nah, and it's a quibble likely to be missed by the general public, and the kid, when it mattered, could pull off his songs winningly.

Rachel Zegler also fared better than the clips I heard beforehand, though at the top of the range she does pull some, albeit very mild, Christina Aguilera-type breathiness and an unnecessary (and unwritten) melisma or two. But, she's scrappy, lovely and tragic and that's what matters most here, isn't it? 

I found the characters of Riff, Anita, Bernardo, Chino all vivid and believable . . . and well performed.  I have to say, I was bowled over by original cast member, Rita Moreno now in the new role of Valentina.  It was a stroke of genius, and Moreno's performance which began with a wisp of heart warming nostalgia, grew into something emotionally shattering. 

There is so much more to comment on, but never enough time. I plan on rewatching this one in the future and I'm certain there will be even more  that I've thught about by then. But, the chief take away for me remains: I was one hundred percent surprised by just how moved I was by Spielberg's skill and efforts to retain, respect, and ultimately recreate a legend. Aside Just about everything about this movie feels right.