| Everybody has an opinion. | |
| Posted by: portenopete 03:48 pm EST 12/15/21 | |
| In reply to: NYT: The ‘West Side Story’ Remake We Didn’t Need - Ballerina56 11:35 am EST 12/15/21 | |
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| There are thousands of people with opinions. 'Twas ever thus, but thanks to social media, they now have platforms on which to share their opinions, which lend them credence and ballast. And there is a ravenous mainstream media that is thrilled to amplify these arguments for the broader population. Having heard the hue and cry that went up over the depiction of Latinos in the film version of IN THE HEIGHTS- a work created largely by Latino artists- I am beginning to despair of any consensus of opinion about anything at any time. There are always going to be people who feel that "their" story hasn't been told accurately. I'm sure if 16th century Veronese people had been invited to the opening night of ROMEO AND JULIET at The Globe, they might have felt that the white, middle-aged bald dude from Warwickshire didn't have much insight into the specifics of Italian adolescent life in 1597. But he did seem to have some insight into the essential nature of Love and Youth and Prejudice. Similarly, I think WEST SIDE STORY is a play about two people: Tony and Maria. As the history of the show's development has proven, the specifics of the nature of their forbidden love could be infinite. (One scenario that most surely would have been impossible to depict in 1957 was the one closest to the hearts of all four principle creators: a same-sex love story between two boys. Admittedly they- and Shakespeare- left plenty of room to imagine such an attraction within the strictures of their storytelling.) Sure, they co-opted a framework that was trendy and cutting-edge and thought that tension between Puerto Rican emigrés and native-born children of immigrants was a fecund setting to re-tell Shakespeare's story. As far as I can tell, they did it out of socially progressive and creatively ambitious ideals. For me that is hardly worth sullying the reputation of one of the most exquisite examples of its form and one that has delighted and moved generations of theatre- and filmgoers. And to sneer at the honest attempts of Messrs. Spielberg and Kushner to clarify and deepen the piece with a 21st century perspective just smacks of unchecked cynicism to me. As a proud non-Latino, I have absolutely no guilt consuming either the original 1961 film nor this masterful 2021 remake. I understand some may not share my unguarded affection for the piece, but I resent being made to feel like a heel for liking it. (From what I have heard from the largely Latino cast, they all seem to really like the piece as well.) |
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