Tony Kushner

It’s hard to imagine what cinema would be like without remakes. From the lowliest programmers to the most bizarre arthouse films, no producer, director, or film star seems immune from thinking, “I wonder what I could do with that.” But taking on a remake of a film as beloved and revered as Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story (1961) is another matter.

Steven Spielberg’s spectacular re-invention of West Side Story makes the classic Romeo and Juliet-inspired musical his own, subtly revising Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim’s 1957 Broadway hit, along with Robert Wise’s 1961 Oscar-winning screen adaptation.

The most curious alteration director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner make to the American musical classic West Side Story in their hotly anticipated remake is to take away from the central couple Tony and Maria their tragic theme, “Somewhere,” a song of longing for a brighter future when all seems lost. Instead, they give it to Valentina, the elderly owner of the drug store, where Tony’s gang, the Jets, hang out.

Director Steven Spielberg makes so many good choices for his remake of the iconic West Side Story. First, he respects the legendary, celebrated songs, showcasing their presentation through remarkable singing and dancing. Second, Spielberg infuses the 1957 story with serious contemporary issues, notably and always at the heart of the story, ethnic racism, plus rape, gang violence, and gentrification.