"West Side Story" (2021) is well-acted, fresh & invigorating from frame one to frame none. Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist... and, especially Rita Moreno... were absolutely WONDERFUL! Great acting AND singing from all!! It was definitely a more-than-worthwhile experience. I felt as if I was watching an entirely different film with new surprises at every turn. Spielberg has proven himself a master of all genres.
The inclusion of "Valentina" (Rita Moreno) as Doc's widow is just brilliant! Didn't expect to tear, but... there I was... like a Vulcan imbibed with chocolate; just totally out of emotional control. I guess I now know which character resonated with me most deeply: someone from the School of Hard Knocks looking onto a new generation going through the same things I once experienced, yet unable to fully communicate the most effective solutions for their youthful angsts. Valentina's difficulty in trying to console Anita after her abusive episode in the pharmacy with some of the Jets captured this well. The "Valentina x Doc" story served as a higher octave of Maria x Tony; what COULD have been possible if the two young lovers succeeded together in life.
As a character, 2021's "Anita" is as electrifying as the 1961 version. Her emotional range is now broadened by more meaningful interactions & "A Boy Like That"/"I Have A Love" is turned into a battle of its own between two women who have lost someone precious. It's a real life argument set to song and - in the hands of Steven Spielberg- it is more masterfully crafted than ever before. Less operatic & more combative, this "Maria" is defiant in her defence of Tony to an inconsolable "Anita", who refuses to hear anything contrary to her grieving feelings.
The rejection of Spain & its institution of slavery in the 1860s ended a era of division on the island. The embracing of our total identity as "Puerto Rican" began to take hold. "Puertorriqueñidad" roughly means that to be a "puertorriqueño" one must accept ALL ethnicities as one; hence, the deep love for our flag- the one thing that harmoniously bound us all as "familia". First, it was the Lares flag which separated our identity from Spain & defined us as our own "people"; followed by the Cuban-Puerto Rican joint version designed during the years under U.S. rule. The white star- along with the red, white & blues of these banners- represented freedom, a U.S. concept.
How Anita's afro/indigenous features were supposed to be some sort of detriment to Bernardo & Maria being "family" was a bit strange at first, until you realise later on that Anita is being subjected to dismissal based upon her colour by the people from the very country she purports to love over Puerto Rico.
Her uttering: "Is it because I'm dark?" to Bernardo sounds oddly out of place considering that- to a Puerto Rican "fresh off the boat" - it's that one flag which keeps our identity candle brightly lit in a perceivably dimmed-out land. Skin tone is not a factor at all when dealing with ourselves. It is a factor when you encounter those thoroughly engrained with the way the U.S. trains people to give up their culture & embrace being a crayon instead: bleak & without basis. Bernardo's only reaction is like: "Huh? What are you going on about??" Later- in the pharmacy- Anita is told that: "She's too dark to pass." Herein lies the source of her hidden pain: the Americans- which in this scene are represented by some of the Jets- will accept Valentina as one of their own as long as she acts accordingly. Valentina might very well be able to "pass", but her age & experience in New York City has her quite aware of how she's being perceived by certain European-Americans. She's not above correcting them. Valentina may very well have married Doc out of sheer love, but she never stopped loving her own culture or who she was at her core. Integrity is an inside job & not defined by how someone else sees you.
If this "Anita" felt an insecurity for being "too dark", that would have happened as a result of living in Manhattan U.S.A.; where the government tries desperately to corral people into non-existent "races" in order to divide, conquer and- ultimately- control them. In the U.S., even the "race" peddlers are on a constant mission to split your family apart by skin tones... like chattel. They prefer you be confused about your deep, illustrious cultures than to be secure & free-standing with quiet pride. As Riff suggests: "It's not about skin. It's about territory." He's correct, but the insecurities that come about with Anita coming to terms with slurs being hit at her (ie: Bernardo's "black" pig) conjure up fears in her that she is being "forced defined". This leads her to straighten up her spine & defend her identity even more. Miss Anita held on tight to her Boricua-ness. It's what allowed her to "swirl" with happiness in a U.S. American world of colour-coded & nonsensical crazy.
This whole scenario reminded me of a job interview I had recently. I grew my hair out for the last couple of years- like REALLY out. Even though it was neatly pinned back, I was told I needed to cut it off. I lamented that, but was ready to make that change. The person interviewing me had straight, long beautiful hair whereas mine was a mess of 3C curls looking like: "poof"! Had I been Jan Brady (no, not the "Aunt Jenny" episode), perhaps I'd be working there today. My hair's not a wig, so it's not an option. The first interviewer was fine with me keeping it neat. The second interviewer was like nope! Not our kind of hair type. Whatever. I'm too busy celebrating all the amazing ethnicities that compose my Boricua-ness right now to chop off my locks anyway. I became more defiant like Anita & doubled down on MY identity, not the one being imposed upon me by someone else. You don't get to define me. I will not relinquish control over any part of me.
Some of us who are visibly "ethnic" (read here as "non-European") don't often have a choice. We can change how we act, our manner of dress & even hide our hair to meet the false "race"-qualifying needs which the Democrat Party has created in the U.S. My mom- for all her incredible sewing ability- could never rise beyond being the "#1" seamstress in a mafia-run factory because the Democrat Party system she encountered in New York City told her that only politicians were supposed to rise & become elites. Everyone else was destined to a life of servitude in a world controlled by left-wing government. Though she never identified, she was of a brown complexion & the world kept trying to remind her of this hoping she believed it enough for it to become her identity. She may never have mouthed the word, but she internalised some of that negativity; where it festered & brought her spirit down, way down. The Democrat Party mission was somewhat accomplished when it came to her: the "spic" started to see herself as sub-servient & allowed greedy politicians to poise themselves as "representative" of people like her in the halls of power. Forget about "God", they would push; only the President & politicians are to be seen as such. You're not allowed to be independent. Your goal is to take whatever crumbs we decide to toss at you. She- ultimately- rejected "race" as blood ties are much stronger than greedy, ridiculous politicians or fake media pushing canned "race" tropes about "the negroes" or "the spics" attempting to erase her identity & held tighter onto "God"- no man, woman or clergy... just "God". Like the "Anita" character, my mom was equal to my father. No one but "God" was above & beyond her. She did- however- end up having her skills pay someone else's bills & saw none of that help her get her piece of the "American Dream"- which very much DOES exist, even today. The owner of that factory lived in complete luxury, while "#1" had to work her fingers to the bone from 8am to midnight every day, but Sunday. True to form- the New York Democrat Party machine attempted to chew up whatever legacy she had left. The mafia-run business to which she gave almost 30 years tried to deny her any pension. Mom may have wasted a lot of her God-given abilities & swept up the crumbs for a plantation owner, but I'm going to bake my own American pie on my own plantation. "Anita's gonna get her kicks... to-niiiiight! To-NIIIIIIGHT!!"... withOUT Bernardo & his 6 kids. Yo no soy gata tampoco. In the case of the on-screen "Anita", there was no getting rid of her lovely sun-kissed skin in order to get herself a dream job. She had a plan, though: get the money & then start her OWN business. In the "I Feel Pretty" scene, some of the girls were offered $500 each to move away. Though a few did cash the cheques given them, others sent them back touting: "It's about my integrity!" Bravo! That she had to make these choices shows the hurdles that people who look like Anita must overcome in this nauseatingly "race"-centric society; one which never seems to want to let us just be "AMERICAN". You can celebrate all your ethnicities & still be WHOLE. Boricuas have been perfecting this for quite some time.
The peculiarity that makes us Puerto Rican is "inter-ethnicity": you marry who you love & they become "Boricua"- a singular identity. This is what my parents' & grandparents' generations both brought to the table of my psyche. It's not just some far-flung philosophical idea. It's us. Americans could learn a thing or two about how to be more unifying from us, but they're too busy trying to draw dotted lines across our super-tight knit families for the sake of conquering & greed.
Anita would, actually, be the ideal & not outside the norm in that era. This fused ethnicity is part of what makes us unique & makes us "puertorriqueños". This fusion is physically reflected in the high number of out-marriages to other ethnic groups whilst on the island & in the mainland. The majority of Boricuas are mixed to very high degrees; having swirled for 500 years on an island 35 miles wide by 100 miles long. Indeed, Boricuas- out of all the Latino nations/territories- have the highest rate of marrying outside the culture and- in the end- their progeny all become "Boricua" (read: "One ring to rule them all!").
It's being a mixed-ethnic "Boricua" that makes us, not the U.S. pseudo-concept of "races" based upon skin tones- a concept invented by the controlling U.S. plantation owners who ultimately coalesced into the "Democrat Party". Even if this party counts minority groups amongst its ranks, the template of plantation owners (today, fake "socialist" elitists) vs. the slaves has never been shattered. The very location of the film is a testament to how the Democrat Party (which runs New York City) cleared the homes where migrant Puerto Ricans & African Americans lived in order to replace them all with Lincoln Centre- a cold citadel to their elitist, non-inclusive power & buildings too costly for any of them to ever afford; all of it harvested from the minority groups they often pretend to care about. No "terrace apartment" for Anita, Maria or anyone else... but, here's a CHEQUE! Now, BEAT IT, KID!!
Republicanism is about individualism. Don't spend your money right away. Don't get caught up in costly loans. You'll only make "Ole Massa" rich. As the Democrats use the media to shift blame from the havoc they themselves are causing, be like Anita & save it all to lay down your OWN foundations. And- by "Republican", I mean the concept for what that party actually stands. No reference to some of the current pretenders who call themselves one, but are not.
It was interesting that Anita calls Valentina a "traitor", further declaring in the end: "I am not an American. I am Puerto Rican!" Aside from being a re-affirmation we often tell ourselves when faced with outside forces trying to re-shape our identity against our will, Miss Anita was like: "I am THA-rough, honey. ¡Boricua de pura cepa!"
Rachel & Ansel as "Maria" & "Tony" are amazing together. Rather than the avant garde version of 1961 (in itself an opus), the 2021 version explores their ties with emotional finesse. We feel for them beyond songs & dances. When Anita told Maria that Tony was going to have to go & she (Maria) was going to have to go with him, I was like: "Ooooh... Miss Maria's going to turn the gun on herself & go out like a Capulet, hari-kari style." (maybe... in a Director's Cut)
Maria & Tony are more dynamic this time around & it's lovely to watch. Tony is charismatic & dark. This "Tony" has an incarcerated past. Maria is alive, impressioned (she kisses him first) & all around fun. She's "virginal", but not prudish at all. Both actors playing them are talented in dialogue AND song, which- of course- was very refreshing!
Bernardo, played to full glory by David Alvarez, is a boxer in this 2021 remix. This intrinsic change adds colour & realism as boxing is a sport loved by many on the island. Though somewhat of a protective bully & not representative of EVERY Puerto Rican (most are, obviously, not gang members), David captures our fighting spirit beautifully. He's a flip side of Anita- a tough cookie in her own right- yet, manages to maintain a complementary personality to hers.
Riff, amazingly portrayed by Mike Faist, is a territorial nativist with some sympathy for others. This sympathy- however- makes him see Valentina as more of an American because she was married to Doc. Even though it does not extend to other islanders, Riff ends up becoming more realistic with this expanded range. He's willing to go to whatever lengths in order to maintain control over the territory he feels belongs to the Jets.
Sung by Tony AND Riff, "Cool" is now placed into a more related context: a dance with a weapon of war (gun) on a dilapidated & quite dangerous pier. I totally LOVED this number in 1961 & love it MORE now! Tony & Riff deepen their own hoodlum type characters by teaching each other how to fight in a ballet with a gun over creaky pier boards that open up into the Hudson River.
The "Chino" character is re-imagined as a nerdy type who wants to be accepted; the "Shark" version of "Anybodys" (formerly a "tomboy", now non-binary). It's great to see them be more three dimensional than in the original. It's also great that Maria isn't mean to Chino this time around. She really does try to have fun with him as he tries to dance his way out of his shyness. Both Anybodys & Chino, played to perfection by Iris Menas & Josh Andrés Rivera- respectively- are catalytic in this film: Anybodys has their ear to the street & Chino moves from aspiring accountant to murderous thug because of the street; ultimately & through no choice of his own- embracing the dark side.
I loved the change of scenery. Adam Stockhausen as Production Designer fabulously transformed New Jersey into a West Side Manhattan down to the very street signs in orange & blue (memories for some of us). Instead of all indoors, God becomes the gaffer & Janusz Kaminski plays a Moses; parting a sea of people with his usually-wonderful camera choreography. The changes brought upon the residents of San Juan Hill- both Puerto Rican & African American- remind us of a time when our cultures decorated the bleakness of the slums we were offered as a place to live. Everything from Gimbel's to a pre-Lincoln Centre hark back to a time when things were quickly changing & the old was being forced to become "new". The clothes are sharp & vivid. Much props to Paul Tazewell for the all the period-specific flair which added zest to contrast the dreary streets of a dirty New York. That "Anita" dress was PERFECT!
Whether it was a choice shot or fast-paced editing, this new take on "West Side Story" is more like ANOTHER VERSION of the dream of four super-talented gay Jews- double outsiders- who tapped into the vein of what many immigrants believe before arriving in America: that the streets are paved with gold. That is, until they actually get here & finally see that it's all just a thin layer of yellow paint covering up unexpected seediness & despair.
Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg & Janusz Kaminski have teamed up with the late, great Stephen Sondheim, Gustavo Dudamel & the ever-lovely Rita Moreno to bring back a story that is constantly relevant in the U.S.A.: the hopes & dreams of the immigrant in a country which offers you freedom at the end of a long, winding road filled with potholes, landmines & no instructional book. Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein & Arthur Laurents are entertainment greats & "West Side Story" pays the BEST homage to their lasting legacy. It is a top-notch film with exquisite performances delivered by ALL; some- surprisingly- from first-time actors! The music is ever fresh & the dancing fun & well-choreographed within the confines of a well-paced script. It IS a musical, but also SO MUCH MORE. Steven Spielberg has- unobtrusively- lain a musical over a story without once ever dampening its vivacious & unapologetic rhythm of life. The streets may not be paved with "gold", but they are certainly lined with Oscars. Here's hoping for lightning to strike twice! Good luck to all!
4 out of 4 coconuts. This film features a stellar freshman cast with a very bright future as cinematic thespians & of course- they are framed to perfection by a "dream team" film crew who never fail to deliver.
Thank you so much, Steven Spielberg. Whatever propelled you to tackle this film again, we are so grateful that you DID. It's more than just a simple updated homage. It's a new facet on an old diamond.
¡Olé!
