New West Side Story Review
The new remake of West Side Story has been very controversial. Taking a classic and remaking it is no easy task. Many people have varying opinions on this movie. I'm one of them, so I'm going to share my thoughts and reactions to this new remake.
As always, there are going to be elements that are different from the original in remakes. This is part of what makes remakes so controversial. However, I believe that the differences in this movie are part of what makes it stand out from the original. Steven Spielberg felt it was important for the Sharks (one of the opposing gangs) to be an all Latinx cast, unlike the film made in 1961. It's important to have authentic characters in the story because part of what divides the Jets and the Sharks is a difference in their races. There is also a lot of Puerto Rican culture shown in the film, so it's important that the Sharks were from Latinx descent. The casting of this remake was amazing. Rachel Zegler (Maria) has an incredible voice and even though she's new to this industry, her acting was natural and convincing. Ariana Debose (Anita) won an Oscar for her performance, and it was well-deserved. The whole cast helped to bring the movie to life, especially these Latina women.
Secondly, Steven Spielberg made changes to the original characters themselves. He gave each character more depth and more backstory. This allowed for parts of the story to make more sense than they did in the original, giving a new depth to the movie.
On the other hand, though, something that I disliked about this movie was the character Tony, played by Ansel Elgort. I disliked this character in the remake because of how Ansel Elgort chose to portray him. In the original West Side Story, Tony is very optimistic about life, and he is overall a cheerful character. In the remake, however, he comes across as a scary character who is much more pessimistic. Part of what makes Tony such a special character in the 1961 version is his cheerfulness, which isn't present in the newer version.
Overall, I would say that this remake was fantastic, although nothing will ever be able to beat the nostalgia of the original.
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Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
