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Written by: Tony Kushner (screenplay by), Arthur Laurents (based on the stage play, book by)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Rita Moreno
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, this explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.
Verdict
The production values are great and the story only becomes more engrossing the farther in, but there's an inherent disconnect with a musical. This is about two warring gangs, and it breaks my suspension of disbelief when they break their fighting to dance and sing. The depth of the story in the second half overcomes the problems I have with the format at large, but it's also a story we've seen many times before.
It depends.
Review
Based on the 1957 stage musical which was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, this is the second film adaptation of the play.
The Jets are a white gang that wars over territory with the Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. There's an undertone of how the area is changing due to a growing Puerto Rican population, but all of that is undermined by how the area will be torn down soon and both groups pushed out.
Tony (Ansel Elgort), the former leader of the Jets that's been in jail, falls for María (Rachel Zegler) the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo. The impediment to the two star crossed lovers is their affiliation to rival gangs and the upcoming fight. Tony and the cops want to stop the fight, Tony because he doesn't want to derail his budding relationship.
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| Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort play María, Tony |
The fight happens and casualties occur. Tony ends up on the run and his relationship with María is in jeopardy. Like Romeo and Juliet, Tony is led to believe María is dead, and he seeks death at the hands of the rival gang. María isn't dead and berates the gangs for the senseless violence. It's a story of love overcoming differences, but also being a stumbling block for characers.
The production values are great. While I'm not a fan of musicals, this one is inherently disconnected with gangs ready to fight taking a break to dance and sing. This is a story that's been told many times. Half way in I didn't really think we needed this story again, but the message about discrimination seems even more relevant now. Violence propagates and affects everyone. Even knowing the general beats of the conclusion, it's still a powerful ending that begins to overcome my misgivings for the rest of the movie. Having a measure of nostalgia for this might have helped.
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