The Best Part About Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’
Spielberg’s fresh take on the 1957 Broadway musical makes big changes, especially in the way Puerto Rican characters are casted and portrayed.
Ariana Debose (left) and David Alvarez (right) in ‘West Side Story’ / 20th Century Fox
When it was announced a new version of the classic musical West Side Story would be created, I couldn’t help but wonder how they would pull it off. From the iconic song and dance numbers, to the entangled and complex relationship dynamic between Maria and Tony, this was a big undertaking by the Spielberg legend himself. Although I knew there would be stunning cinematography and production design, the aspect of the film I was most looking forward to was the cultural changes in how the Puerto Rican community would be depicted.
As beautiful as the original 1961 film was, it held many stereotypes and negative views on the Puerto Rican people living in New York as well as the island itself. For many, this was the first time the word '“Puerto Rico” or “Puerto Ricans” was said in a big budget Hollywood movie, and unfortunately it has contributed greatly to how a lot of society views the island. From white actors with dark makeup playing the Shark members, to lyrics in the famous ‘America’ number shaming Puerto Rico and wanting it to sink back down to the ocean, it was clear the new version needed some work.
As expected, the new version patched up the aggressive comments toward Puerto Ricans and adjusted many song lyrics to better portray the Latino community. Additionally, every single character who was supposed to be Latino, was played by a Latino actor.
This for me, was the greatest takeaway from the film. It was a joy to see a large community of Latino actors and people of color dominate the screen without being heavily pushed into stereotypical roles or as side characters from the white actors.
David Alvarez, who plays the Sharks leader Bernardo, and Rachel Zegler as Maria were the stand outs for me. Having little known actors play such iconic roles was not only refreshing, but exiting to see their careers take off. Both actors are of Latin decent and their energy truly comes through the screen. I think their brother-sister relationship had the roughness and conflict the original had, but it also had a warmth and kindness we don’t really get to feel with the 1961 version.
Another positive takeaway from the film was not only the increase of Latino representation on screen, but also in leadership roles behind the camera. Rita Moreno who played Anita in the original film, was able to executive produce and have a say in how the new version would be made. I also thought it was wonderful she was still included in the cast and played a widow of a store owner and a sort of mentor to Tony. I don’t think West Side Story is what it is today without Rita Moreno, so it was a given she would have to be deeply involved in the new version.
Despite the progress of the entertainment industry this film showcases, that doesn’t mean we get to celebrate and act as if the Latino community is now well represented in Hollywood. Latin American characters have been largely missing from big films and tv shows since the early era of Hollywood. Not only that, but Latinos and women of color creators behind the camera have been scarce.
In 1999, the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts reported that Latinos made up less than 2% of characters on television shows. Today, that number has only risen to 5.3%. Clearly, this is still a predominant issue in the entertainment industry and it's important now more than ever to support Hispanic led films and tv shows, just like ‘West Side Story.’
Overall Percentage of Latino Characters in Film & TV
So what now? As new films and tv show are being released in hopes of raising statistics like the ones above, how else can we push for progress? For one, go support films like ‘West Side Story,’ and that will help tell the entertainment industry audiences want stories where the Latino and Hispanic community are at the forefront of today’s media. It’s so important for all audiences, especially younger generations to see themselves on screen, and that’s why the newest version of this iconic musical is so powerful. To see a Latino community of proud, and hard-working people not only helps to break barriers in the film business, but society as a whole.