Modern remakes of classic musicals rarely hit the mark, much less present a worthy alternative to the original. An exception is Steven Spielberg’s magnificent “West Side Story”.
Part-hommage to, part-enhancement of Jerome Robbins’
path-breaking original film, which in turn was based on his Broadway staging
inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the film speaks to a modern
audience in language that is gritty and contemporary, while still remaining
grounded in the now somewhat old-fashioned format of a musical.
To begin with, it is far more violent, not just in the
bloody, bone-crushing fights but also in dancing that is visceral enough to be
called aggressive. This is immediately apparent in the Prologue which begins,
like in the original film, with balletic leaps; but soon becomes genuinely
frightening and sets the tone for this film.
The original Prologue was filmed in New York City on
the lot which was ear-marked for demolition to make way for what is now Lincoln
Center. Here, the film is set in that actual locale, which is shown partly
destroyed. Thus, the turf-war between rival gangs becomes all the more
desperate, as both are now vying for supremacy in a fast-dwindling patch of
real-estate. In this, the “Jets” are made up of USA-born children of European
immigrants, while the “Sharks” are immigrants themselves from Puerto Rico,
after it became part of the USA. Thus, there is a cultural and linguistic
(English/Spanish) divide, adding to the battle over limited resources; and the
conflict between Shakespeare’s Montagues and Capulets is given real,
contemporary resonance.
In this scenario, the plight of the “star-crossed
lovers” Tony and Maria, also becomes all the more poignant. Maria’s brother
Bernardo, leader of the Sharks, becomes the Tybalt-character, while Mercutio is
represented by Riff, the leader of the Jets and Tony’s best friend.
Tony Kushner’s screenplay, augmented from the
original, adds colour and motivation not only to individual characters but also
the larger groups they come from; and even to the forces of law-and-order,
charged with the unenviable task of policing these troubled streets while
dealing with their own prejudices.
All the characters from the original play/film are
given revised backgrounds; but the one given a near-total make-over is that of
Doc, who runs the neighbourhood drugstore where the Jets hang out. Here, it is
Doc’s widow Valentina who owns the shop. She is played by Rita Moreno, who won
an Academy Award for her portrayal of Anita, Bernardo’s firebrand girlfriend,
in the earlier film. As a Puerto Rican who married a white American, Valentina
becomes the example to which Tony and Maria aspire; and it is appropriate that
the song “Somewhere” with the lyrics “There’s a place for us, a time and place
for us” is given to her.
Ms Moreno delivers a deeply moving characterisation;
and newcomer Rachel Zegler is utterly believable and sincere in the role of
Maria. It’s a shame that both were not nominated for Academy Awards. Everyone
else gives committed performances, true to their characters and making-up a
fabulous, tightly-knit ensemble.
But it is evident that Director Steven Spielberg is
the real star of the show. This is passionate and supremely skilful film-making,
aided by the starkly-etched cinematography of Janusz Kaminski. Both bring this
sadly present-day, urban war vividly to the screen.
Even so, and rightly so, one is left with the words
that end Maria and Anita’s final duet: “When love comes so strong, there is no
right or wrong; your love is your life”.
