Ep. 31 - Dueling West Side Stories Rumble Part I

In this first part of 2, it's an all out rumble  on Fabulous Film and Friends, as we compare and contrast the two visions of the classic musical West Side Story—the 1961 version directed by Star Trek The Motion Picture’s Robert Wise and the 2021 version directed by Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull’s Steven Spielberg. The first version starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. And the update stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez and Mike Faist. 

I’m joined once again by my stalwart war council of movie watchers and deep thinkers, Roseanne Caputi, Burton Brown, Dr. David Johnson and Gordon Alex Robertson. Welcome one and all! 

If, for whatever reason, you’ve never heard of this story and what it’s all about here’s, a synopsis:

West Side Story is a musical retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet set in late 1950’s New York where in the stead of feuding Italian families it’s warring ethnic gangs. The white gang call themselves the Jets and are led by Riff and Tony and a Puerto Rican gang called the Sharks led by Bernardo and Chino.  Tony, however, while one of the founders of the Jets, is starting to grow up and grow past gang life and predicts something coming in the future to fulfill him. And lo and behold when he attends a dance where the Jets and Sharks are both in attendance, Tony falls slackjawed, awestruck, head over heels in love with Bernardo’s younger sister Maria, who has just arrived in America. Maria, equally gobsmacked by Tony, dances with him and kisses him in front of her  friends and family, which incites an all out rumble between the Jets and the Sharks. 

Instantly and deeply and love with each other, Tony and Maria commit to marrying each other but before they can have peace, Maria entreats Tony to stop the rumble. 

Tony promises he will but as the fight unfolds, Bernardo kills Riff, who is Tony’s best friend and like a brother to him. Grief-stricken and angry, Tony retaliates and stabs Bernardo, killing him as well. 

Through plot machinations and misunderstandings similar to Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria’s innocent and tender love is spoiled by the hatred of one group towards another and we leave the theater to ponder whether love can conquer all? 

 Is that what's truly important as we battle over which version is better?

Find out!