West Side Story (1961 Vs 2021) - Which Is Better?…

With Steven Spielberg's remake of WEST SIDE STORY now out in cinemas across the country, it feels right to look at both big screen interpretations, and see how they fare up against each other. There's many factors that both films pull off very well, and areas where one film triumphs over the other. And I'm going to be controversial when I say... I think the remake is better...

Now is the new film a masterpiece? No, but there is many factors that make it more enjoyable to watch. And the big thing for me is a simple one... it feels far more cinematic. The 60s film has a serious issue with it's drawn out pacing. And that's partly due to the fact that it looks and feels like someone recorded the stage show and put it on the big screen. The sets feel like sets rather than a real life environment, and the cinematography does little to sell it as a spell-bounding, cinematic adaptation of this popular musical. It is still very impressive overall, but doesn't bring the level of cinematic spectacle that that you would expect from a movie musical. Spielberg's team does a far more impressive job of selling us on the level of spectacle he is looking to bring. Even from the very beginning, there is a clear sense of the newer adaptation being more thrilling to watch. Rather than an overly drawn out overture featuring little to nothing keeping your attention. Instead, we get a very well paced build in tension, establishing the run down setting for the story, slowly building up the entire jets crew, before the main conflict comes into full force. It's far more interesting then a series of slow moving lines.

The 2021 film also does a really good job at expanding the world, as well as character motifs. The 60s film focuses in on the blossoming romance and the gang war going on around it. But here, we get context to the changes in society, that are happening around this gang conflict, as well as giving characters like Maria and Tony more to their characters. They aren't just dewy eyed love birds in this version, they are able to have an actual conversation and acknowledge that there is a more realistic view of the conflicts around them. There is still the cheese soaked romantic dialogue present in this film, which helps build the effortless chemistry between actors, Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler. And the fact they gave them time alone to explore their relationship properly really helps the audience buy into it, before having tragedy bring their romantic story come to an abrupt end.

I would say both films do an equally brilliant job with it's music and choreography, both being performed brilliantly by their respective casts. I would give the 60s version a slight edge over this new film simply because those performances are so iconic! I do think Richard Beymer has a slight edge over Elgort when it comes to singing as Tony, especially when Maria is sung, but both performers do superb jobs at conveying the conflict inside Tony, and the emotional turmoil he has to face as his feelings become clear. The version of Gee, Officer Krupke seen in the 60s version is also slightly better, due to how it makes use of the entire jets cast, whereas this new film feels more confined and just a little less amusing to watch. You will also notice that a handful of songs are in different orders in this new film, which I would say for the most part works well, and actually helps create a better overall pace for the narrative. The only time the changes felt wrong was when it comes to the timing of I Feel Pretty, which in this new film comes straight after the deaths of Riff and Bernardo. It feels very out of place in the middle of a rather downbeat and tense final act. I would've personally put it before the rumble as per the 60s film, making the aftermath of said rumble all the more tragic.

I also have to give Spielberg and his team credit for making use of colour more subtly within the design of the world and it's cinematography. When we meet the jets, their world is drab, with colours mostly being blues and greys, showing how they are slowly losing their grip on what use to be their domain. On the other hand, the sharks have more varied colours, re-enforcing the upbeat and colourful outlook on American life that we see when the ladies sing America. You can also see this contrast in colours even more so in the dance hall sequence. The jets are in mostly blues and greys, while the sharks have a wider colour pallet. It's also subtly noticed in the final act, as the colourful look of the shark scenes becomes more and more drab, reinforcing the toll that this meaningless war takes on those around it. And ending the film with Tony's death in a mostly dark blue setting shows how far the characters have sunk when it comes to letting this gangland war go too far.

But when you come down to it, both film adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY are sublime adaptations of this popular musical, and they are both equally entertaining in their own right. And it's ultimately going to boil down to what you want to see from a film adaptation of a Broadway musical. If you want it to feel like watching the stage show, then the 60s film might be more up your alley. Whereas if you want to be a cinematic interpretation of said stage show, then this new film might take your interest more. For me, I prefer this new version, simply because I want films I watch to have a real sense of cinematic quality. As beautifully crafted as the 60s version is, it doesn't give me that level of cinematic spectacle that I crave. If I wanted to see something that looked like the stage show... I could just go and watch the stage show. This new film truly embraces the cinematic art-form, and while YES, it didn't need to be made as the 60s film more than does the trick, this new film will still entertain and uphold the legacy of this popular musical.

SCORES - 2021 Version

Story - 4/5

Characters - 4.5/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 5/5

TOTAL - 9.4/10