Musical Remake -"West Side Story"
A Romeo and Juliet story that takes the place of two feuding families and takes on the rival youth gangs of the Puerto Rican Sharks and the ethnically white Jets in their 1950s met on the streets of New York for years. The famous Broadway play, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Steven Sondheim, has been transformed into a classic musical film, directed by Robert Wise. Steven Spielberg, three-time Oscar winner and director of hit films such as "Schindler's List", "Jaws", "ET" and the "Indiana Jones" trilogy, is now venturing into a new edition of "West Side Story".
At first everything is very familiar: the music, the choreography of the dance fights, the retro look of the 50s, with the sleek tail fins of the vintage cars. And one could almost ask oneself why a new version of this classic is actually needed.
Retro nostalgia meets current conflict
"West Side Story" has been Steven Spielberg's favorite musical ever since he bought the record with pocket money when he was ten. In his eyes, the story, which was way ahead of its time in the 1950s, is even more relevant today than it was then: "The musical inspired me as a child and I thought that after more than 60 years the time had come again because that is a subject that should be passed down through the generations"
A new version for today's generations: In fact, the conflicts of then and now are the same. Like America today, the 1950s was already about the rivalry between immigrants and ethnic white residents. "...if you're white in America" is the motto of Sondheim's lyrics to Bernstein's music.
But it's also about wealthy property speculators who are pushing the poorer sections of the population out of the inner city to the outskirts, as Riff, the leader of the white jets, teases: "I've realized that everything I know is either sold or demolished Or taken over by people I don't like."
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Romeo and Juliet not on the balcony, but on the fire escape
The culprits are quickly found in the Puerto Rican immigrants. The fights are first fought dynamically in the dance hall and later with fists and knives in a huge warehouse. As the boys make war plans, the eye contact between Tony from the Jets and Maria from the Sharks creates an amour fou that overcomes hatred: "I've never seen you. You're not Puerto Rican," says Maria. "Is that a problem?" Tony replies.
Love across opposing camps gets both Tony and Maria in trouble at home: "Who are you? Friend or foe?" asks Riff Tony. "You stay away from him as long as you live in my house!" Bernardo demands of Maria, who resists: "I'm grown up now, Bernardo, I do what I want!"
Not just a film about, but also with Latinas and Latinos!
At first glance, the film seems artistic and traditional, the young actors sing and dance through the streets in familiar choreographies and construction sites, dance halls and garages and on the roofs of New York.
But as a spectator, you are quickly carried away by the energy and verve of the young performers and by the dynamics of the staging and are swamped by the bright color contrasts of the fluttering yellow plate skirts with fiery red petticoats, the color frenzy of lilac, red and pink.
Adventure, science fiction, biopic, southern drama: Steven Spielberg has tried many genres, but at the age of 75 he dares to do a musical for the first time - and he is completely in his element! While Robert Wise also cast most Puerto Ricans in the 1950s with white performers such as Natalie Wood as Maria and uniformly darkened their complexions with makeup, Steven Spielberg now cast exclusively Latinas and Latinos.
He managed a very special coup with the casting of Rita Moreno. He had a new role specially written for the actress, who wrote Oscar history as Anita around sixty years ago. As the widow of candy store owner Doc, she is a mentor to kids like Tony who wants to learn a few essential phrases of Spanish.
Intoxicating update of "West Side Story"
In 1961 it was revolutionary that a Hollywood film told the life of Puerto Rican immigrants. But only today are they really allowed to represent themselves. For this reason alone, this exciting update of the "West Side Story" is worthwhile in every respect.
