WEST SIDE STORY
Added 2021-12-08 22:53:05 +0000 UTCI'm sure many know that the original film and musical was a huge huge huge part of my life growing up....perhaps to disturbing levels XD. But I'm seeing the new one tomorrow. Look for a review hopefully on Friday. Part of me worries about Spielberg as director...mainly because his films tend to go more the monochromatic, silver/blue color grading. And also, he's maybe the least sexy film director of all time....in terms of just, the sexuality in his films. It's not really his thing, and that's cool...but to me West Side Story is full of fire, color, and passion, and sexuality (whether more metaphor or literal). I expect him to get the gritty urban aspects right...but my concerns lie in other areas. Also...that original opening....I am so excited to see how they will try and measure up to it, if it is at all possible. What are your thoughts? Have any interest?
Comments
Can we all finally get our heads out of our asses and finally admit that Spielberg is really a crappy director? He's only "good" due to the tricks he uses to tug on the heartstrings. His characters aren't that memorable and his storytelling rely HEAVILY on our heartstrings being pulled.
Tony Moro
2021-12-10 20:40:01 +0000 UTCOh, I like the music and songs very much. Most of them anyway. I recognize the greatness of “America”, “Tonight”, “Somewhere”, even “I Feel Pretty”, though that’s been overused so ironically through the decades it’s been rendered a parody of itself. But…whatever issues I have with the film probably have more to do with Jerome Robbins than with Bernstein and Sondheim. It’s been forever since I’ve seen the film, but I remember rolling my eyes a lot at how the gangs were portrayed. There was a lot of cheesy posturing and mannerisms going on. There was no danger emanating from them; they just came off as what they were: dance troupes. I know it’s Broadway and not documentary, and I’m a layman when it comes to dance, but I know enough to say that it can show fire and violence in a performer when done right, even in a smooth, graceful format like ballet, and I just didn’t get any of that from the “street toughs” in the film. But anyways, I hope you enjoy the film.
Bennett Oliver
2021-12-09 21:25:52 +0000 UTCSure, and that's fair. I just notice a pattern in the dismissal of the newer films and glorification of the old in a way that I find to be a bit misguided. I think he has made very good films since Private Ryan. But...I don't like Private Ryan, so there's that. XD
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:45:59 +0000 UTCTrue but this is a mainstream release by the innovator of mainstream blockbusters who hasn't made many great films since Saving Private Ryan imo and this is a time when critical praise can be bought more than ever which is why I'm not sold on the praise of this new one.
Wolfman Brandon
2021-12-09 20:43:11 +0000 UTCAgree with you mostly. But I dunno...I feel like the trailers have given me enough hope that this one can hopefully stand on its own enough.
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:39:10 +0000 UTCHaha I actually didn't see the film. But I own the score. XD
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:36:40 +0000 UTCYeah my only thing is...it seems kind of pointless to remake the film. But other than that...I dunno...I have hope. Perhaps he really felt he could do something new with it. We will see
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:36:22 +0000 UTCHis films have been neutered for quite a while. But on occasion he makes something very interesting.
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:35:26 +0000 UTCI think there is a lot to be improved upon with the original film, despite it being close to me. I think it's narrow minded to praise the old days and to dismiss the new. I think films are better than ever now overall. Just not in the mainstream. I think it's often a detriment to glorify the past to much.
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:34:42 +0000 UTCSo weird people don't like musicals to me. I'm not singling you out specifically. It's most people. To me it's some of the most cinematic ways of story telling in the old days. Visuals, special effects, aesthetic, interesting editing....much of it is due to creativity of cinematic musicals of the RKO and MGM era. I feel it deserves a lot more respect. But people for some reason can't get beyond the singing. Don't know why. It's an abstraction just like dance or anything else. Music videos seem to be okay with people. But musicals, not so much. Utterly perplexing to me.
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:33:01 +0000 UTCOof....the music to WSS is perhaps the greatest music of the 20th century. Couldn't disagree more. But I do agree, the film has tons of problems. I reviewed it years ago. But there are aspects of it that I think are brilliant. Today I rarely see musicals done well, which is why I worry. But I also have a good feeling about it too. Weirdly.
Deepfocuslens
2021-12-09 20:30:56 +0000 UTCAs far as musicals go, I’m not the biggest fan, but I don’t hate them either. I love Singin’ in the Rain, I think that’s a great film. I also like Moulin Rouge as I think it’s the only film in which Baz Luhrmann’s fevered high camp intensity actually works for the story. But West Side Story…never did it for me. Something about singing and dancing street gangs just seemed rather cheesy to me. By the time the Jets were singing about “playing it cool”, I was ready to opt out. Besides, I thought the two leads, Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, were bland compared to the supporting cast, like Rita Moreno. All in all, I think it’s an overrated musical, but yes, with some great songs, like “America” and “Tonight”. Where Spielberg is concerned, I actually think he’ll do a great job directing a musical. Few directors have a better sense of kineticism with the camera than him, of when and where to move it in a scene. He’s shown that skill in plenty of action sequences. I think it will translate well into musical numbers. They should be spectacular. As far as other elements go (story, casting), we’ll see. I’d be worried about the ending. Spielberg has never been able to make a satisfying ending to any of his films in quite some time. They always tend to go on at least a scene or two longer than they should.
Bennett Oliver
2021-12-09 14:38:51 +0000 UTCAs with most remakes/reboots, I am skeptical and pessimistic. I feel the only saving grace for the film is that it's being directed by Spielberg (despite the fact he hasn't had a great film in a long time).
Ryan
2021-12-09 02:04:40 +0000 UTCI remember rolling my eyes when I saw the headline that Spielberg was remaking this but I hope its a good movie nonetheless. While musicals are my least favorite genre, I do respect what the 1961 movie accomplished.
Stephen
2021-12-09 01:59:39 +0000 UTCI'm incredibly skeptical about the remake. I've read it's getting glowing praise with some saying it's better than the original which I find very suspicious. The only thing it made me want to do was revisit the original again. So I watched my DVD of it for the first time in years and I forgot how much I adore it. What really struck me on this latest viewing was how many of the characters, especially Tony and Maria, are trying to maintain this fantasy world even when reality is burning it down. In most of the scenes where the lovers are together or thinking about each other (the Maria musical number and imaginary wedding come to mind), the screen is blurred out while they remain in focus and in the light. That emphasizes how much they disregard the real world. Even after he kills her brother and reality is busting down the front door, neither one of them wants to give up this perfect world they created together. The Somehow musical number perfectly encapsulates this and it hit me in a way that it never did in past viewings. In the end, everybody loses, reality wins, and nobody could or wanted to face the real world. One of the greatest tragedies in American cinema.
Wolfman Brandon
2021-12-09 01:38:40 +0000 UTCNever realized how neutered Spielberg movies were until this. I guess it comes from pursuing "family friendly" films during an era of conservatism through the 80s that stayed strong for the rest of his career.
Arthur Augustyn
2021-12-09 01:19:10 +0000 UTCI refuse to support the art of a major pedophile. Research Heather O'Rourke. Fuck Spielberg!
Tony Moro
2021-12-09 00:12:48 +0000 UTCI also saw the original in a theater last week. I’m skeptical of the Spielberg version, but the reviews seem to be really good so far. (I’m just judging by the headlines. I don’t read reviews until I’ve seen the movie.) My first thought with this is the same in a way as the Van Sant version of Psycho. Why? What are you hoping to say about this material that wasn’t said in the original? And I’m not sure what that will be, other than offering a version that has real Latino actors. I will definitely watch, though.
Jim Barnes
2021-12-08 23:56:28 +0000 UTCSpielberg’s not sexy? What, the sex scene in Munich with Eric Bana and his wife that’s intercut with the massacre of the Israeli Olympic team didn’t do it for you?
Bennett Oliver
2021-12-08 23:33:57 +0000 UTCI rewatched the original in theaters the other day. I was pretty dubious about this remake from the start and at the time, I wasn't especially in love with the musical. Coming off this latest watch especially seeing it on a big-ass screen, I'm very concerned that he can pull it off. I'm glad most of the cast are fairly unknown cause I think it would be exceptionally hard to get invested in this if I had to jump through the hoops of recontextualizing familiar faces with familiar characters. I'm also hoping since I don't know many of these actors that they have a dancing resume cause if they fuck up the dancing, I can't forgive them. I LOVED the choreo in that original so much. America might be my favorite musical sequence of all time. So yeah, I find it a challenging proposition but like with everything I'm going to go into with the best of intentions and hope it can surprise me. And at the end of the way, no one can take away the original.
Tyler Shobe
2021-12-08 23:07:07 +0000 UTC
