Critics greatly favor Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’

The Romeo and Juliet theme proposed in the context of rival and bitterly hating Puerto Rican and American youth gangs (representing the Montagues and the Capulets) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side makes for a wild and cuddly mix of romance. and war to the death. That’s it West Side Story, the new version of Steven Spielbreg which opens in theaters in Ecuador this Thursday.

Since its 1957 Broadway premiere, West Side Story is a musical loved and hated at the same time throughout its history. The score, which features classics by Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim such as Somewhere and Maria, is considered one of the best in the history of Broadway. The cast album was a number one hit. The 1961 film won the best picture award and nine other Oscars. The show has been regularly revived, most recently on Broadway last year in a short-lived radical rethink by Belgian director Ivo van Hove. But with Spielberg it takes a kind of rebirth.

This remake is still set in 1957 and the artifice of the set where it occurs, with residential buildings and empty lots, is deliberate, evoking the theatrical origins of the story. With a script conceived by Tony Kushner and new choreography by Justin Peck, the film honors the roots of the original production while giving it a 21st century sensibility.

Dance and music are kinetic. Peck’s choreography keeps the DNA of the Jerome Robbins original, but adds an athleticism that makes him feel fresh. Spinning and hopping through the streets on that side of the Big Apple, the Sharks and Jets are still the punks most athletic of all time. Puerto Rican Ozuna and Colombian-American Kali Uchis feature on the film’s soundtrack. Both interpret one of the main themes of the film: Another Day In America.

‘West Side Story’: Glories of cinema are reactivated under the baton of Steven Spielberg

One of the variations on Tony Kushner’s script is to give Tony (Ansel Elgort) a new story. Here he is on probation, having spent a year in prison for beating another man almost to death, an experience that has left him determined to reform. It can be difficult to accept the character’s change from criminal to sentient soul, but this adds another layer of tragic irony.

Sharks and Jets return in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ remake

The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) just gave Spielberg’s film the award for best cinematography. “It is the first production of West Side Story that has a completely Latin cast to give life to the Sharks. It was something that needed to be corrected“, Said the director to Eph.

The critics speak

• “It is a beautifully staged, impressive, emotionally charged and violent musical that, in its crude approach to a raging social problem and developmental realism, can set a pattern for future musical performances. The screen takes on a new dimension in this powerful and sometimes fascinating translation of the Broadway musical into the wider reach of the movies. “ Variety
• “This new West Side Story has not been historically updated yet nor is it a remake shot by shot. But bold, and perhaps almost defiant, it reproduces the vibe of the original era with stunning late-1950s New York digital fabrications. ” The Guardian
• “What they’ve done with West Side Story by tearing it down and moving it from stage to screen is rebuilding its excellent material into nothing less than a film masterpiece … In every respect, the recreation of the Arthur Laurents-Leonard Bernstein musical. in the dynamic forms of cinematographic films it is achieved in an excellent and appropriate way ”. The New York Times

Steven Spielberg: ‘West Side Story’ has been that haunting temptation I’ve finally given in to

• “West Side Story it is a magnificent show, a milestone in musical films, a box office success. It is so good that superlatives are superfluous. It should be noted that the musical film, the only dramatic form that is purely American and purely Hollywood, has never been made better. ” The Hollywood Reporter
• “Spielberg is wise enough to know that the first West Side Story it was unique. He has created his own miracle, a film with a diverse cast and social conscience for today that encompasses all that is sublime in its incomparable origin ”. BBC

• “Kushner, Spielberg, Kaminski and the cast of future superstars breathe new life into the play, while paying homage to the greatness of the original production. The result is nothing short of incredibly exciting work. ” Tribune
• “Steven Spielberg has always wanted to direct a musical and in a year with several noteworthy originals, it is his remake the best”. Reeling
• “Steven Spielberg finally manages to make a musical and (for the most part) gets it out of the park.” Forbes