In the 1950’s change began in an area of the upper west side of New York City. When the Hispanic population began to take over part of this neighborhood, the gangs began to try and control these areas. The Jets, who were mainly young white American teenagers, wanted to control the whole Upper West Side of New York, but the Sharks who were mainly young Hispanic teens, would not allow this. These rival gangs would stop at nothing to prevent the other from taking control of the neighborhood.
The Jets are led by Riff (Mike Faist) who has much hatred for the Sharks, while Bernardo (David Alvarez), leader of the Sharks and a boxer, has the same feelings toward the Jets. With things being rough financially for Bernardo, he and his girlfriend, Anita (Ariana DeBose) live together in a small two bedroom apartment, along with his younger sister, Maria (Rachel Zegler). Riff’s best friend and ex-con Tony (Ansel Elgort) have a long standing relationship through the Jets, but Tony must lay low or he will surely go back to prison. Not able to afford much, Tony lives with a Hispanic friend, Valentina (Rita Moreno), who was once married to a deceased white American.
To loosen the tensions between the Sharks and the Jets, the city sponsors a community dance. Bernardo wants his close friend Chino (Josh Andres Rivera), to take his sister Maria, which she accepts. At the dance, Tony and Maria meet and show feelings for each other. Love sparks within them and the war begins between the two rival gangs.
Steven Spielberg does a great job of intermingling the songs from the original storyline. Different characters from the first 1961 film have different musical roles in the 2021 edition as well. Rita Moreno who played Anita in the earliest rendition of the story, now plays the role of Valentina in this newest version. And, she gets to sing the song she sang back in the original. Spielberg does an excellent job with bringing this story to life and also helps keep the audience’s interest with these subtle changes.
Based on the 1961 film with the same name, this adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows the tragedy that unfolds between these two gangs and the two lovers that come from the different communities. The remake does not disappoint and is a delightful musical experience.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the fantastic performances and musical numbers by all of the actors that bring this narrative to life. Stars 3 out of 5
Additional Film Information
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Josh Andres Rivera, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Crime, Drama, Musical, and Romance
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking.
Running Time: 2 hours and 36 minutes
Release Date: December 10, 2021
Distributed By: Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures, and 20th Century Studios.
Release In: Standard, Dolby Digital, Dolby Surround 7.1, and IMAX