From “Remake? Why?” to essential, timely, breathtaking update.
It’s kind of wild to go from wondering how a Steven Spielberg musical might look, to realising, “Oh, he’s been doing this since Raiders“. Almost as much fun: watching Film Twitter collectively scrapbook this realisation:
My personal favourite sequence may be Anita (the electric Ariana DeBose) gathering dancers and momentum in the opening bars of America:
And I mean come on:
It’s difficult to describe the feeling of seeing this classic updated, not in setting, but with racially appropriate casting, and the way the importance of that infuses the entire viewing experience. While the love story between Maria and Tony remains the least compelling or convincing element (perhaps in large part because of the relatively flat presence of Ansel Elgort), Rachel Zegler, who is luminous in her role, reveals the consideration that went into updating the character of Maria:
The 2021 version is an ideal do-over of the 1961 version, utilising modern technology while retaining the classic aesthetic, as shown in this featurette on West Side Story‘s cinematography, as lensed by longtime Spielberg collaborator Janusz Kamiński (via 20th Century Studios):
Further Viewing
Be Kind Rewind‘s excellent deep-dive examines realism, ethnicity, and casting when comparing the two versions of West Side Story:
In Depth Cine looks more broadly at the Cinematography Style of Janusz Kamiński, and his collaborative dynamic with Spielberg:
Related Posts:
Review: The Batman (2022) A hot mess.
Review: The Farewell (2019) A deceptively gentle miracle of a film.
Film School: Colour In Film with Lawrence Sher Cinematographer of 'Joker', 'The Hangover', and 'Garden State' gives a masterclass accessible to beginners - in 15 minutes.
Film School: How to Make A Documentary (with In Depth Cine) Tips for your approach, from the overall vision to the nuts-and-bolts of realising it.
Film School: The French Dispatch (2021) A round-up of breakdowns of Wes Anderson's rich, intricate film.
Film School: Dune (2021) Breakdowns of form and function in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi fantasy epic.
Film School: Reed Morano Breakdowns, interviews and workshops with the director & DOP behind 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'I Think We're Alone Now'.
Film School: Who’s Who of Cinema Lenses An introductory overview to the glass through which commercial feature films are captured.