To state the obvious, dance is an entirely different performance medium than film, and I thought that the adaptation really worked for a modern film audience.
More specifically, an audience that wasn't sitting in a Broadway theater in 1957, well-versed in the news headlines and personal observations on how gentrification, class warfare and racism were impacting an area of Manhattan merely twenty minutes away.
I think we forget just how clueless most of the world is about these things. This film wasn't just written to play Peoria, but play Pretoria, Puebla and Padova, too. In 2021, today's audience could really benefit from some extra telling, not showing, and I found Kushner's additions not only added valuable backstory but meaningful emotional impact.
As I've often said, WEST SIDE STORY is my favorite musical. I loved the film. I thought it was a bold, creative triumph that took beautiful inspiration from the courage of the original creators.
- GMB |
