MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (2021) Discussion > I am so steamed right now!

I am so steamed right now!


What really bothers me no end is the possibility that the original 1961 film version of West Side Story will be totally subverted and suppressed as a result of Spielberg's upcoming re-make of this great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic movie-musical! Even on other forums, I've been advised to either go see the re-boot of West Side Story and enjoy it and accept it, or just focus on other films. That piece of advice really stank to high heaven, imho!

I'd hate to see the original 1961 film version of West Side Story either be totally subverted and/or suppressed, never to be shown again, even occasionally in revival movie theatre, but only on TV, and only available on DVD, Blu-Ray, or videos, or end up in the five-dollar DVD/Blu-Ray basket in Wal*Mart or some place like that.

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I've been told the same thing to go and accept it but I am so full of hate since they didn't cast a real Puertorrican as Maria with Spielberg's excuse that she had all the qualities and they aren't necessarily casting actual Puertorricans for the main Shark roles!

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Being told to accept something that one doesn't care for is a real bummer. I've never been one to accept something that I really didn't like, and this is no exception. Also, I don't think that a girl that age should've been cast as a leading character in this instance, either, since the vocal cords aren't completely mature and developed until around the age of 19 or so. There are a lot of very high notes in the West Side Story songs, including the songs that Maria sings, as well. I listened to Rachel Zegler on a youtube video, and she seemed to be straining on the high notes, especially when she sang in chest voice up in many of the higher notes, and went flat on a number of others. Such a young voice shouldn't sing those songs, because that can do a great deal of damage to the still-developing vocal cords.

It would've been interesting to have a real Puerto Rican cast as Maria.

I'm no fan of re-makes generally, but in something such as West Side Story, the search engines should be configured to give more weight to the original film, and more of a choice should be given to fans who wish to see the original and those who wish to see the newer version. As a devout fan of the original film version of West Side Story, it would be cool if both versions would be released in both the mainstream and the independent repertory movie theaters here in the United States--nationwide.

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You have a wodnerful idea there! I've seen the original WSS many times..it came out in 1961 when I was a toddler..

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Hi there, gcarras! Thank you for your quick response, and for your compliments on my idea. As a devout fan of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, I, too, have seen this great, golden oldie-but-keeper of a classic movie-musical more times than I can count. I was a young preteen when it came out--in the 5th grade. Although I was introduced to West Side Story during the summer prior to entering sixth grade (the summer of 1962, to be exact), while attending day camp out in Tucson, AZ, though the soundtrack of the original Broadway stage late-1950's production, I did not get to see the original film version of wEst Side Story until around Christmastime of 1968, as a high school Senior, at a now-defunct movie cinema north of the town where my siblings and I grew up. I fell in love with the original 1961 film version of West Side Story right then and there. A six-week trip to Europe 4 summers later re-awakened my love for the original 1961 film version of WSS. Somebody in the group I was with had brought along a cassette tape of the Soundtrack to the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, which was played almost every evening, during free hours. My love for this great film classic was re-awakened for good.

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:)

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