Steven Spielberg's West Side Story: An Update from a Legendary Movie

A

faithful to the original but more political: Steven Spielberg delivers Wednesday in French cinemas his rereading of a New York musical that has become a monument of American popular culture. Aficionados will not be disappointed: renewed and virtuoso choreographed sequences, including a breathtaking prologue (one of the cult moments of the first film), unforgettable songs (

,

...), clashes between the Jets and the Sharks ... They will find the fundamentals of this

of modern times, in New York at the end of the 1950s.

Read also From

to

, the unforgettable songs of Stephen Sondheim

74-year-old Hollywood genius, Spielberg, who has marked generations of viewers with

,

or

, for decades dreamed of filming the tragic and impossible love between Maria, who came from Puerto Rico. , and Tony, former leader of a gang of young street boys from European immigration.

The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1957 and has since performed countless times in the United States and elsewhere, gained fame with its first film adaptation, by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, four years later. She had won ten Oscars, including two for interpretation, to George Chakiris (Bernardo) and Rita Moreno (Anita), the first Hispanic actress to receive the statuette. At 89, the latter ensures the transmission of heritage with the film by Steven Spielberg: she plays the widow of the

, a new role and one of the rare freedoms that the screenplay takes with the original work.

Visually,

Spielberg's

puts a twist on the 1961 version and Spielberg's mastery, as well as the large means at his disposal ($ 100 million according to

), are felt in each

shot

of this ode. in New York full of life of the 1950s. "

", had fun Spielberg at a press conference : the special effects simply consisted of removing "

", which regulations now require to be installed.

The main roles are entrusted to young talents, sometimes novices in front of the camera, like Rachel Zegler, spotted in high school to play Maria, but who do not let themselves be crushed by the role. Tony is played by Ansel Elgort, revealed in

. Special mention to the supporting roles of Anita (Ariana DeBose) and Riff (Mike Faist), who could afford their ticket to the Oscars.

Sixty years apart, as questions of racism and violence continue to plague the United States, could Hollywood similarly film this love story shattered by racial hatred (the first version has been criticized? for the image it returned of Puerto Ricans)? "

" screenwriter Tony Kushner told a press conference, saying that there was "

" in the score. Shifting somewhat to the background in the 1961 film, the political context is brought to the forefront by Steven Spielberg. "

" said Rita Moreno. More violent too.

As for the casting, there is no question, as in the 1960s, of having young Puerto Ricans play by white actors - except Rita Moreno. Today's performers were recruited from the Latino community. Many lines between the Sharks are spoken in Spanish, with the assumed choice not to subtitle them, neither in English in the United States, nor in French in the tricolor rooms. “

” Spielberg said.

And the socio-economic context of the time, with the destruction of poor neighborhoods in New York to build new buildings reserved for the better-off classes, or the racism of the police, is further developed.

“

”by promoters, emphasized Steven Spielberg.