West Side Story (1961)

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021) is a visual masterpiece starring a talented and colorful cast with improved Latine representation from the original version. Although the film seeks to improve the source material—and in some ways, does so successfully—it is also limited by its predecessor. Spoilers ahead.

Let’s get this out of the way first: the sexual assualt allegations against Ansel Elgort are a massive stain on this movie. The film had already wrapped in 2019 before the first allegation was made in 2020. I’m not sure what they could have done to fix this. Studios can’t feasibly scrap or refilm an entire movie they’ve spent millions of dollars making with such a large cast, even when the lead has allegations like this against them; just look at Death on the Nile. 

The knowledge of the allegations changed the way I watched West Side Story. The seven year age gap between Zegler and Elgort becomes more problematic when you know Elgort preyed on young women and girls. The way Elgort towers over Zegler during their intimate exchanges also feels threatening instead of romantic. I wanted to enjoy this movie without that knowledge, but I couldn’t ignore it.

You may be wondering why I went to see West Side Story if I am so aware of the allegations. I know many boycotted this movie because of Ansel Elgort—probably one of the major reasons it did so poorly at the box office. That’s a shame, because, besides Ansel Elgort, this film is amazing. I went to see it for Rachel Zegler, for David Alvarez, for Ariana DeBose, and the Latine west side story cast and crew. I went to see it for myself. To me, a movie is more than one person. I understand others’ reasons for refusing to see it. But I’m glad I saw West Side Story because it's a visual masterpiece, improving on the original in so many ways, even if it’s not perfect. 

Let’s just put it out there, we can be honest with each other. We’ve all found ourselves choosing films to watch less because the script is strong, and more because we were told it's “aesthetic”. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the task becomes strenuous when it's just so gosh darn pretty, and film is no exception. It’s not a one for one though; in the case of cinema, the text exists not to paint a picture for the audience, but for the crew. Therein, it’s natural to yearn for a certain visual pleasure when sitting down for a show.

That’s one element I’ve always loved of Shakespearian adaptations. At some point the film world agreed that any adaptations of The Bard must strive for a certain pedigree of beauty, which I’ll never object to because it feels so innate to the subject matter. Shakespeare's work itself has always leaned into the romantic to the point that I don’t think anyone wouldn’t conjure angelic images while reading. And so, here’s a collection of the films I think captured William’s pathos the best. Both for the diversity they bring, and of course “the aesthetic."

A strong start, not only because of the source material, but also the strength of the filmmakers. This adaptation does a perfect job of blending the essence of the original work with the film making trends of the late 90s. I think what makes it work most is the comedic but never flippant tone it takes with itself. It leans into the bizarre happenings of the story and frames them as bizarre. And this is further pushed by the whimsical tone of the visuals. It’s dreamy and flirty in the most enjoyable way.