20^th Century Fox

PG-13.      158 min

  Some people will complain about motives when a remake of a famous movie is produced.  Well sure, desire for profit exists, instant recognition, and of course it's at least a lot less work than thinking up a new hook but moreover a great story or song is still a great story or song.  Remember if you love Romeo and Juliet but didn't see it at the Globe Theater in the 14th century, well, you're watching a remake. Now don't misunderstand, there are all sorts of ways to f*** up any great production,  and thousands of clowns ready willing and able to do just that.  Someday I may expound on the almost endless list, but as for now I'll just say that though that nagging worry was just over my shoulder,  it never showed its ugly face with Stephen Spielberg's latest rendition of WEST SIDE STORY.  The Broadway smash hit the big stage in the late fifties and the silver screen in 61, garnering critical praise wherever it went.  Actually I haven't watched the original film in decades, but like magic every song pops right back into my head the minute it begins.  If you care about a spoiler I will give some information that you might not have known. We know that Tony (Ansel Elgort) the original leader of the Jets has gone sour on the entire idea of gang banging. He meets and falls in love with Maria (Rachel Zegler) the sister of the leader of the opposing Spanish gang just before a serious rumble between the two factions is to take place. Now in this version, he’s been given a back story to help explain his absence. Speaking of back stories all the generic dancing and singing hoodlums, or many of them, have been given one in the dance number Officer Krupke Here lines are distributed amongst them to help explain why each of the kids is where he/she is.   One of the twists really touched my heart. As you recall Doc owned the drugstore where both sides, the Polish and Irish Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks could hang out in relative peace.  In this version it's his widow that runs the same shop and she is played by none other than Rita Moreno from the original film. Another slight twist is that she gets to sing somewhere and it works like a charm. There's also a silly nod to the woke crowd making the “Anybody’s” Transgender, but it really means nothing to the plot. But the miter embellishments with standing everything else is pretty much the way it was over half a century ago. The tragedy is still heartbreaking the music is still great and the performance is top-notch.

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