West Side Story

 Now for the most anticipated remake nobody knew they wanted ...

West Side Story, also known as "Romeo and Juliet in New York City," was previously filmed in 1961 by Robert Wise and the show's original director, Jerome Robbins. That film, of course, won ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The new film by Steven Spielberg should look forward for a few Oscars of its own in March.

In 1957, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks are rival street gangs fighting in New York. Their neighborhood is established right away as the site of the future Lincoln Center. In the meantime, Jet leader Riff (Mike Faist) decides to set up a final "rumble" with Shark leader Bernardo (David Alvarez). Riff wants his best pal, Tony (Ansel Elgort), to rumble with him. But he doesn't want to break his parole after he nearly killed someone in his last rumble. Still, Tony decides to go to a local dance. That's where he meets Maria (Rachel Zegler), Bernardo's sister.

Tony and Maria fall for each other pretty quickly. Unfortunately, Bernardo is now amenable for the rumble. Maria hopes that Tony can persuade both sides not to do it. But just like Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, it doesn't end well. 

The screenplay by Tony Kushner reworks Arthur Laurents' libretto considerably. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics are intact but plenty of the original spoken dialogue was rewritten. The main characters get strong new backstories. This helps us see how unpleasant the gang war is. One supporting character, Doc the grocer, is replaced with his widow, Valentina (Rita Moreno). Moreno won an Oscar for the first film as Bernardo's girlfriend, Anita, now played by Ariana DeBose. So, her coming to Anita's rescue when the Jets harass her is cathartic. These changes and more help its 156 minutes go by quickly. 

Now for that ensemble. Elgort as Tony takes some getting used to. His singing is a bit flat, but you'll feel it when he gets emotional. Zegler's Maria is a triumphant film debut, perfectly giddy when she feels pretty and despondent in the finale. DeBose's Anita is initially optimistic about her being in America. But that's destroyed when Bernardo dies. As for Bernardo, Alvarez is a good man whose hot bloodedness is his downfall. Faist as Riff is full of pent-up rage. Meanwhile, Anybodys (Iris Menas), an aspiring Jet, makes the most of his minimal screentime. Chino (Josh Andres Rivera), the hypoteneuse of Maria and Tony's love, is a likable guy with a tragic ending.

Leonard Bernstein's iconic score was adapted by David Newman. It gets going great when the opening prologue takes us on a tour, photographed by Janusz Kaminski, of a desolate construction site. Editors Michael Kahn & Sarah Broshar show the Jets as they steal supplies to commit vandalism with. They help, rather than obscure, Justin Peck's elaborate choreography, not to mention the violence. Paul Tazewell's costume designs give the Jets and Sharks a muted, but still colorfully distinctive wardrobes. Let's not forget production designer Adam Stockhausen for recreating New York as it was.

Despite some flaws, 1961's West Side Story told a compelling musical story about the dangers of hate. So, it was surprising to hear it was going to be remade. Not anymore. Its revised script is a captivating new take on the famous story and its Shakespeare ancestor. You're never bored as you wait for the next song to happen. I don't know if it'll follow its originator to the Best Picture Oscar, but if it does, that's fine by me. It's really one of the best films of the year. See it as quickly as possible on the biggest screen you can find.