West Side Story: A Review
By: Mallory Johnson
In December of 2021, the new West Side Story movie musical adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical with lyrics by the late Stephen Sondheim was released in theaters. I missed it when it was in theaters, but it was recently added onto Disney+ and I watched it. I had a BLAST watching it, and this was my first introduction to the musical! In a nutshell, the musical is The Outsiders meets Romeo and Juliet, with music. It also reminded me of the musicals Newsies (because it is set in the past in New York City), In the Heights, and Grease. The movie follows two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. When Maria and Tony meet at a school dance and feel sparks fly immediately, things heat up because they are each from different gangs. Classic star-crossed lovers! Before I go any further, SPOILER ALERT! Also, trigger warnings for: forbidden love, death, murder, gang violence, racism, discussions of transphobia/homophobia, gang violence, discussion of alcoholism, comedic discussion of child neglect, mental illness, grief, mention of suicide, fatphobia, sexual violence (not graphic), sexual content, blood, and gore. The movie stars Rachel Zegler in her first movie role, Ariana Debose (Hamilton ensemble, The Prom), Ansel Elgort (The Fault in our Stars, Baby Driver), Mike Faist (Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, Panic), David Alvarez (Child’s Play, American Rust), Rita Moreno (One Day at A Time, the original West Side Story movie), and more. The movie was described by Rachel Zegler on social media as “By Steven, for Stephen” after Stephen Sondheim passed away on November 26th, 2021, approximately two weeks before the movie came out. Steven Spielberg beautifully and carefully directed this movie; and you can tell there was a lot of love and thought put into the film.
It was interesting to me how seamlessly the Spanish was woven into the dialogue in the movie. You can tell for the Sharks (the Puerto Rican gang) that it was easy for them, but they are also trying to speak Spanish less often and use English more. Ariana Debose and Rachel Zegler shine in their main and side character roles; the movie would certainly not be the same without them. Another side character that steals the show is Mike Faist as Riff, a member of the American gang the Jets. I became familiar with him when he was starring as Connor in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. This is Rachel Zegler’s first movie role, and I am SO glad that she was cast as Maria because she is amazing, and it is wonderful that she gets to show her skills in such an iconic role. She is set to star in a live action adaptation of Snow White (as Snow White) and DC movie Shazam Fury of the Gods!
I loved the music and score in this movie, and I even recognized two songs (America and I Feel Pretty). I loved how a rumble was a major part of the plot because it reminded me of The Outsiders, which is my favorite book. I loved the attention to detail with the costuming, hair, and makeup. The choreography was a lot of fun to watch, especially at the start of the movie! The balcony scene reminded me of Romeo and Juliet where Juliet says, “Oh Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?” I loved how romantic the songs “Balcony Scene (Tonight)” and “Maria” are.
Overall, I LOVED this movie and highly recommend it if you love musicals! I love how the gangs are a chosen family for the members, and it is (comedically) discussed in the song “Gee, Officer Krupke” why they need them. I had a lot of fun watching this, I wish I could have seen it in a movie theater! I give it a strong 10/10!