Why Steven Spielberg’s new take on West Side Story is even more relevant today

The 1961 movie musical has long been considered one of the best of all time, but Spielberg’s version captures the true diversity of the story, which is a necessary update in 2021. 

Screenwriter Tony Kushner spoke on this at a global press conference, saying about the original Broadway musical and film, “Because it was 1961 there were certain kinds of articulations and explorations that weren’t available. Also, it was a musical, and just doing as much as they did in ‘57 was an incredibly radical thing.”

West Side Story marked the first time Puerto Ricans were represented on screen in a mainstream film. Kushner went on, saying “Both the ‘57 musical and the ‘61 film represent enormous strides forward in terms of representation. They’re not perfect in any way, but you know, Exhibit A: Rita [Moreno]’s performance. There’s no way on earth that anyone could convince me that seeing her Anita on screen didn’t make people who were willing to think about their own prejudices and examine themselves, that seeing what she did, the dignity and the power and the intelligence and the beauty of that character. That made a difference. And she won an Oscar. And that was a big deal.”

While the original film cast mostly white actors and even had them darken their skin to appear more Puerto Rican, Steven Spielberg’s version is truly diverse, as he cast Latino actors, and mainly Puerto Rican actors to play all the Puerto Rican characters. In fact, newcomer Rachel Zegler, is the first Latina actor to play Maria on screen. She spoke on this when asked about being compared to the 1961 film, saying “I think the original film stands on its own as this iconic piece of film history…It wasn’t like, am I going to overshadow the legacy of a late great actress? That was never the intention. It was just, what can I bring from my own life experience that wasn’t there before? The first Latina to play Maria on screen. That’s a huge thing.” 

The 1961 film gave us the legendary Rita Moreno, who here stars as a new character named Valentina, replacing the character Doc who acts as a mentor to Tony. It was Kushner’s husband who came up with this brilliant idea to create a new role for the EGOT winner. Her involvement in this remake as both an actor and an executive producer helped to ensure the authenticity, both to the musical itself and to making up for the mistakes of the 1961 version.

Moreno told us about her involvement and how it felt to pass the role of Anita down to Broadway actor Ariana DeBose, saying “It wasn’t easy. I’m not going to say I wasn’t envious. That would just be a bloody lie! I wished I could be that young again and do it again. But that wasn’t going to be. And I got this beautifully written part by [Tony Kushner]. I love me in this movie. You don’t say things like that easily. I love every scene I’m in, therefore I love what I’m doing.” And it’s so touching to see this legendary actor return for this remake. It feels like a true seal of approval.

Ariana DeBose, who gives a stellar performance as Anita, told us she was hesitant to even audition for the part because traditionally, Anita has never been played by a darker skinned actor, saying “When I was first asked to audition, I had to be pushed into the room. I inherently did not think this was a job that I was going to book.  Because Anita’s don’t look like us. You know, they look like Rita Moreno. But I was really amazed that Steven and Tony were open to having the conversation around it. Because it was something I said in the room, that if we don’t want to touch on that, by virtue of my being a Black woman, that could inform this character’s path, then maybe this isn’t the choice for you, maybe I’m not the choice for you.” 

But thank goodness Ariana went for it, because she gives us another iconic turn as Anita, despite having huge shoes to fill. She went on to say, “Then you get the job, and you’re like oh my gosh, ok cool, I have a point of view, I know what I’m trying to accomplish, and I feel prepared. This is going to be fine. And then you meet Rita Moreno and you’re like, what was I thinking? This is a terrible idea. But I try not to think of the fact that she won an Oscar. Because if you let that penetrate the process, I feel like failure is just imminent because you’re trying to achieve someone else’s success, and I genuinely don’t want that. I just want what’s right for this version of this character and the story.”

It’s clear that everyone involved in this retelling was focused on doing what’s right. The topic of language was emphasized in this press conference, as this screenplay is largely in Spanish, but none of it is subtitled. It was a very deliberate choice made by Spielberg and Kushner, and Spielberg told us about this decision, saying “We thought it was out of respect that we didn’t subtitle any of the Spanish. The language had to exist in equal proportions alongside the English with no help.” 

The emphasis on the true Latinx experience really sets this film apart. Rachel Zegler explained how it was captured, saying “There’s a lack of understanding that we all come in different shades, different walks of life, there are many different ways to be Latinx. And so, it was one of those really interesting conversations we had with Tony Kushner about our own lived experiences, whether or not we spoke the language at home, how engrained we were in our own culture. [The conversations were] a huge part of the process, and we had historical conversations and conversations about our own modern life that if you didn’t have an authentic Latino cast, you wouldn’t be able to capture that on screen.”

And this cast of both newcomers and Broadway stars are so proud of the diversity displayed on screen. Canadian actor David Alvarez who plays Bernardo sums it up by saying, “I think it’s a huge step forward. What Steven Spielberg has done, what this whole production has done, is do what the past generations have failed to do. I think it’s changing everything, and this is leading by example and opening so many doors for future actors from the Latinx community. It’s thanks to Steven’s vision.” 

West Side Story opens in theatres on December 10. Click here for tickets.

All photos courtesy of 20th Century Studios