The first movement of the camera is enough to recognize the touch of a great master: “West Side Story” is a new, real, directing lesson by Steven Spielberg and is a film not to be missed for those looking for a high-end film to see during the holidays.
At the base is the musical of the same name by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, already brought to the big screen in the magnificent 1961 feature film, signed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. This new version takes up the narrative basis (inspired by the “Romeo and Juliet »by William Shakespeare) and of course the original songs, but Spielberg is adept at giving his personal touch, managing effectively to deal with the past and present of a New York marked by gentrification.
From the first images, which show heaps of rubble, you can perceive the dark tone of a dark and melancholy product, torn by the joy of some of the songs but always veiled by a nefarious and funereal atmosphere that grows with the passing of minutes, finding its apex in the closing sequences.
A technically flawless film
As also demonstrated by some of his most recent films (from «Il ponte delle spie» to «The Post»), Spielberg once again confirms himself as one of the most technically skilled and well-prepared directors on the contemporary scene. If the editing times are perfect, what is striking is the excellent management of a cast composed above all of little-known faces and the ability to create dance choreographies perfectly balanced with the urban context of reference. The approximately two hours and thirty minutes of duration, thus, do not weigh and not only fans of musicals will be able to love this film, which reveals a great passion for the history of cinema and is also a great tribute to the original film that this year has Sixty candles blown out. A nice curiosity: in the cast, in the role of Valentina, there is Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican actress born in 1931 who for her performance in the original film, in the role of Anita, had obtained the Oscar for best non-performing actress. hero.
Wise and Robbins’ film won 10 statuettes (including those for best film and best director) and we hope that this Spielberg “makeover” will also be among the great protagonists of the awards season.