West Side Story
May. 26th, 2024 02:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psocopteraFinally watched the new West Side Story. I really liked some of the things they did with it! The whole backstory for how Chino has the gun, that it's Riff that brings it into the story, and the reimagining of "Cool" as this struggle between Riff and Tony. The deeper exploration of the racism against the Puerto Ricans, from the paint vandalism to the anthem to "America" to all the times people do or don't speak Spanish or tell other people not to speak Spanish. Tony's backstory and Bernardo calling him out on the way he may be using Maria to try to reinvent himself. And I grew up with the Symphonic Dances so I will always enjoy this music, most especially "Mambo", although nothing is as good as an orchestra sitting playing in their formal suits all earnestly shouting "mambo" at the right time, like, the music might be doing the mambo but *you* sure aren't.
On the other hand, I could not believe how catastrophically they blew the climax of the whole show by giving "Somewhere" to someone other than Tony and Maria and forcing Maria to do some other weak-ass reprise as Tony dies. That's the big emotional moment! Why the hell would you pull the teeth of your movie like that?? I mean, presumably either "because Rita Moreno wanted a big number" or "to not feel like they were just copying the 1961 scene" but I feel like you watch a production of a known show because you want to watch that show, and directors playing games with which pieces you get has a high risk of being disappointing unless they really have something interesting to say with taking key bits away.
On the other hand, I could not believe how catastrophically they blew the climax of the whole show by giving "Somewhere" to someone other than Tony and Maria and forcing Maria to do some other weak-ass reprise as Tony dies. That's the big emotional moment! Why the hell would you pull the teeth of your movie like that?? I mean, presumably either "because Rita Moreno wanted a big number" or "to not feel like they were just copying the 1961 scene" but I feel like you watch a production of a known show because you want to watch that show, and directors playing games with which pieces you get has a high risk of being disappointing unless they really have something interesting to say with taking key bits away.
