West Side Story (2021)
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A modern reimagining of a classic musical explores the tragic consequences of gang rivalry and forbidden love in 1950s New York.
The story
In 1957, the Jets, a gang of white youths, and the Sharks, a gang of Puerto Rican youths, fight for control of San Juan Hill on Manhattan's Upper West Side. While the police warn them that the neighborhood will soon be demolished for Lincoln Center, the gangs remain defiant. Amidst this tension, Tony, a man on parole seeking a new life, and María, a young woman seeking an independent future, meet and fall in love. Their burgeoning romance creates a personal conflict that threatens to ignite the volatile rivalry between their respective groups as a planned 'rumble' looms between the two gangs.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1957, the Jets and the Sharks are rival gangs fighting for territory in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Tony, a member of the Jets, and María, a member of the Sharks, fall in love despite their families' and gangs' opposition. As a violent 'rumble' is scheduled between the two groups, Tony tries to convince Riff to call it off. During the confrontation, a tragic misunderstanding leads to the deaths of both Riff and Bernardo. Following the brawl, María discovers Tony's involvement in the violence. Later, a series of tragic events leads to a final confrontation where Chino, seeking revenge, kills Tony. In the aftermath, María confronts the members of both gangs, highlighting the senselessness of their conflict. The film ends with the two gangs finally ending their feud by carrying Tony's body together into Doc's store.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 156
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Tony Kushner · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ansel Elgort · Tony; Rachel Zegler · María; Ariana DeBose · Anita; David Alvarez · Bernardo; Mike Faist · Riff; Rita Moreno · Valentina
- Genres
- musical; romantic drama
- Themes
- forbidden love; racial divide
- Tone and mood
- romantic; tragic
- Premise and plot tags
- musical; romance; drama; gangs
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1957 stage musical, inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received widespread acclaim, with some critics deeming it superior to the 1961 film, and was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. However, it was a box-office bomb.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 85 · scale: 100 · review count: 62; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 88% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical · win; Critics' Choice Award · Best Editing · win; British Academy Film Award · Best Casting · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $76 million against a $100 million production budget.; The film was initially banned in all of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries due to the role of Anybodys as a transgender character.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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