I cannot remember the first time I saw the original West Side Story movie— I think I was in my early teens.
Where my father fostered my love for all types of music—it was mom who introduced me to the movie classics. She knew the actors and their stories. So—when we heard West Side Story was being remade by the astonishing Steven Spielberg, we were excited.
The remake mirrors the original well—with a deepened focus on the impact division creates in our community. The focus is on two gangs the Jets (Polish) and Sharks (Puerto Rican)—both feeling like the underdogs. Like Romeo and Juliet it is about unapproved love. Maria played by Rachel Zegler falls in love with a member of her brother’s rival gang Tony played by Ansel Elgort.
I remember when I first watched the original—I felt angry and proud. Angry because even in name Puerto Ricans were portrayed with a negative gang name with the word Shark opposed to Jet which is fast and created more positive characteristics. That feeling came back quicky as I watched the remake. With that—so did positive memories like seeing the dancing, hearing our accents and moments like Anita played by Ariana DeBose chastise her boyfriend and Maria’s brother Bernardo played by David Alvarez for being overprotective.
My overall feeling of the movie is muddied by age and experience. At the core Spielberg did a wonderful job remaking the original. He was very intentional to right some of the wrongs made in the original. He acknowledges the displacement of many Puerto Ricans by the powers that be and Robert Moses. He also with the help of Cindy Tolan did a fantastic job casting the movie. Finding David Alvarez who stepped away from acting years after winning his first Tony Award at ten years old. In many interviews Spielberg shared the importance of having accurate and diverse representation. In the original Maria was played by Natalie Woods a non-Latina actress. Another great nod to the original was including Rita Moreno who was one of few Latina's we had growing up on the big screen. I highly recommend her documentary “Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It.”
There is a part in the movie where the Jets are caught by the Sharks splashing paint all over a mural of the Puerto Rican flag. This—is the moment I asked myself, why? Why remake this image of hate, negative representation and divide between two groups? Challenged during a classroom conversation I decided to research why Spielberg thought it was worthy of a remake. Simply put—it was a passion piece for him. A fan since he was ten years old, he had wanted to be a part of sharing it with the next generation. I couldn’t be mad at that—he followed his heart and ensured that he created new opportunities for artists that were overlooked originally. That makes me appreciate the film – understanding the core value and attempt to be an ally for the underrepresented.
Like the comparison of the 1961 and 2021 clips below—many things have changed, and many have not. The goal is to keep working at it and being prepared and part of the progress.
Dawn XO
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