West Side Story: (A Musical With Flares)

I can’t tell you how excited I was to see Spielberg’s reimagining of West Side Story. I have seen the original Jerome Robbins/Robert Wise version literally hundreds of times and always believed it was time to make a more organic, less skin-painted version of what I consider to be an American classic. Courtesy of Disney Plus and HBO Max I got my wish.
 
And…
 
Well, let’s talk about the positives because there are a lot of them. A top-notch cast from top to bottom. Everyone seems to be able to their own singing, dancing, and acting and that is always considered a plus when doing a musical. The screenplay by Tony Kushner is brilliant with an organic approach where every song, dance and acting moment is dramatically nuanced and motivated. As an example, compare the opening of the 1960 version as opposed to the recent incarnation. In the latter production in just one sequence, a lot is explained, and the dramatic tension is set for the rest of the film. Now I am sure Spielberg deserves some credit for this as well. However…
 
Some of the visual choices, which are the main privy of the director, are astounding:
 
The use of flares. Not since J.J. Abrams Star Trek, has an audience been subjected to so many screen and camera flares. I can understand their use in the dance at the gym sequence, but these annoying fragments of light show up in sequences where they obviously do not belong. 
 
The gun scene. Where this came from, I haven’t a clue. It should have been cut as it doesn’t matter a bit where the gun came from, only what it does. We are not idiots and can make the not so substantial leap that a gangbanger can get his hands on a gun. 
 
The final scene (“Come and get me too, Chino”) lacks the punch it deserves because Spielberg and the art director decided to make a film about the firebombing of Dresden. Literally, by the climactic scene, the only building remaining is Doc’s pharmacy with the rest of the neighborhood reduced to large piles of rubble. This not only jars you out of what is intended to be the money scene of the whole movie but greatly diminishes the emotional impact of the entire film. The Dresden rubble, as I call it, is an interesting set piece and should have been saved for another movie.
 
What I loved:
 
The opening.
 
Dance at the Gym
 
America
 
I Feel Pretty
 
What I hated:
 
An over abundance of flares
 
The whole Dresden thing
 
Buying the gun.

So, that's my two cents. A near miss from Spielberg should bring people back to the original. And if that's not a  good enough version for you, there's always Glee.

​About next week. Will be gone for a week in LA LA Land. Filling in for me on March 19th will be Emily Graham from mightymoms.net. 
 
A little about Emily:
 
Emily Graham is the creator of Mighty Moms. She believes being a mom is one of the hardest jobs around and wanted to create a support system for moms from all walks of life. On her site, she offers a wide range of info tailored for busy moms -- from how to reduce stress to creative ways to spend time together as a family.
 
Emily will be dropping some much-needed wisdom on the business of writing. Can’t wait!