More photos released.
https://screenrant.com/west-side-story-2020-steven-spielberg-images/
shareFrankly, I looked at the photos of the 2020 upcoming release of Spielberg's reboot/remake of the film West Side Story and did not like what I saw. The Jets, the Sharks and their girls in the upcoming reboot/remake of the film West Side Story looked more like a bunch of suburban prep-school kids dressed to the nines for partying all over town than two street gangs at war with each other.
Simon Oakland, who played Lt. Schrank in the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, and Bill Bradley, who played Ofcr. Krupke in that same original 1961 film version of West Side Story both looked way rougher and tougher than the two people who were cast as Lt. Schrank and Ofcr. Krupke in Spielberg's West Side Story.
Moreover the backdrop scenes looked far more like the tonier, wealthier parts of the city, rather than an inpoverisiehd, rough and rundown part of the city. I have a feeling that this film will fall victim to the fact that, in this film, the backdrop scenery is going to be a victim of the fact that it's all outdoors.
Kind of like how the movie version of Phantom of the Opera had a richer, fancier look than it should have. Onstage, it has a much darker, more gothic feel and the Phantom's lair doesn't look like a freaking Disneyland ride. And that's to say nothing of the some of the casting choices and the Phantom's deformity or lack thereof.
It looks like this new WSS is going for more style over substance which means the 1961 will win hands down. I don't care what any media or polls say about it.
Hi, StrongRex!
Thank you very much for your quick response to my opinion, and for your ongoing support. It's agreed--the upcoming reboot/remake of the film West Side Story, like many, if not most films these days, is going for far more style over substance. I don't care what any media or polls say about it either. I simply don't like what I've seen so far. Here's hoping that your prediction of the original 1961 film version of West Side Story winning hands down comes true!
Btw, I never did see the film version of Phantom of the Opera, but I, too saw it on stage and noticed the same sort of subtle, dark and gothic feel to it. I have never been a huge fan of musicals on film, generally, but the original 1961 film version of West Side Story, to me, is a very rare exception!
Five years ago, I would have highly encouraged you to see it, but now I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the movie. I fell in love with it when I first saw it, but in the past few years I stopped watching it with rose-colored glasses and I mourn over its wasted potential. Andrew Lloyd Webber had immense control over the project and he managed to screw it up by hiring one of worst directors in the business, casting someone who couldn't sing as the Phantom and watered down his deformity to an insulting degree, etc. Then again, we're talking about a man who doesn't make the best decisions when it comes to even his best works, like when he pushed his sequel to Phantom that turned out to be utterly atrocious.
Believe it or not, I was actually exposed to the movie first and for the longest time, I thought that how the production was handled was how Phantom was SUPPOSED to be. But now, I'm at a point where I see SO MANY things wrong with it. I've read the book and seen other movie versions that seem to be more spot on regarding the atmosphere of the story. I actually didn't get a chance see Phantom of the Opera onstage until 3 years ago in 2017, 13 years after the movie came out. And wow - so many things just clicked and made more sense than the movie did!
Hi, StrongRex. Thank you for your reply to me, regarding the film version vs. the stage production of Phantom of the Opera. Although I never saw the movie version of Phantom of the Opera, I see what you're saying about the stage version being what it is, and how you became more critical of the film version as the years went by.
As I pointed out, most musicals are better on stage, and tend to lose their "kick" when they get transferred from stage to screen. As I pointed out, however, the original 1961 film version of West Side Story is a very rare exception. The original 1961 film version of West Side Story continues to be my all time favorite movie--hands down, and I never tire of seeing it. How I wish everything could re-open, so that movies can be shown on a great big movie theatre screen, as they're really and truly meant to be shown. But, for right now, seeing them on my computer is better than nothing.
I tend to have the opposite view when it comes to movie musicals vs. the stage musicals they were based on - that the movie is better than the play. You know my claims that the movie version of WSS wins hands down over the stage show. I think the Sound of Music movie is better, I think the songs are better placed in the movie, though I don't have as many complaints about the play's structure as I do WSS.
I love both stage and movie versions of Oklahoma equally, though I do wish "Lonely Room" hadn't been cut from the movie, and in the stage version I think it doesn't make sense for Andrew Carnes to introduce "The Farmer and the Cowman". My only real complaint regarding the movie is Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie - I thought she was atrociously miscast and by far the worst part of the movie.
I think I may like the movie Grease better than the stage show, though I haven't seen it performed. Off the top of my head, I like having Danny sing "Greased Lightnin'" rather than Kenickie, and not having "Hopelessly Devoted To You" is disappointing and not having "You're the One That I Want" is a crime in my book. Plus, I do remember reading the play at some point and being shocked by how much language was really in it that wasn't in the movie.
Just a few examples, though I will say that musical movies in recent years tend to fall short of the stage musicals they were based on. Into the Woods was decent but the stage musical is a much superior masterpiece. I saw the Sweeney Todd movie and didn't really like it at first, but I saw it again and became intrigued by it, watched the stage musical and fell in love with it. I do like the movie, but Tim Burton cut way too much of the iconic music and essential plot points.
Hi, StrongRex. Thank you very much for your response to my latest message. A lot of the times, whether the musical is best on stage or on film does depend on the subject matter, how both the stage and movie version(s) of a given musical(s) are done, and how the story behind a musical, whether it be on screen or stage, is told.
I never saw either the film version or the stage version of "Grease", but I have seen both the stage play and the film version of "Hair" and liked both of them, as well as "Cabaret", in which both the stage play and the movie version were good.
"My Fair Lady" and "Oklahoma" were both different stories: I liked the stage versions of both of those particular musicals better than on screen.
I did see the movie "Sweeney Todd" when it first came out, and I liked it a lot, but I have never seen the stage play of Sweeney Todd, so I can't compare the two.
I've admittedly never seen "Sound of Music" live and on stage, but I've seen the movie version several times, which I like a lot, although it admittedly doesn't hold the same special place in my heart as the original 1961 film version of West Side Story.
Frankly, I think that more recent movie musicals do tend to fall short these days, at least in part because stage musicals do, but that's how I see it.
"Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd", which was a mid-1960's stage musical, which I saw in 7th grade, was a wonderful stage musical, but that one, ironically, never did get made into a movie.
Some people like musicals, even something like West Side Story better on stage, because they feel that the people are more real. Others like the movie versions better, because of the outdoor scenery and the real environment(s), and so on. Movies demand one's attention because they loom larger than life-size on the screen. Stage plays require a much narrower focus, so it takes more effort to maintain the communication wave between the audience and the actors.
I definitely agree with you that whether a movie version or stage version of something is better depends on the story. How the story is told is what matters most to me. I'll admit that seeing something live onstage is an experience like no other, but for me, that only goes so far. If the story or music falls flat or I find the characters unlikable when I'm supposed to root for them, it kills it for me. I've never had an issue with suspending my disbelief for a musical - it doesn't matter if it's onstage or on film. The fact that it's a musical is a given for me.
I'm surprised you haven't seen Sound of Music onstage. I was in it seven years ago for one of my local community theatres and loved the experience. When I say the songs are better placed in the movie, one example I'm thinking of is when Maria sings "My Favorite Things" with the children during her first night in the Von Trapp household. Onstage, she sings it with Mother Abbess during their first scene together. It's not...BAD...but it just feels stronger when we see Maria using that song to bond with all the children when they're frightened by the thunderstorm. But onstage, Maria sings "Lonely Goatherd" instead. Again, it's not bad but now we don't have them using it as a puppet show later to entertain the Captain (which is one of my favorite scenes), and the Captain doesn't sing "Edelweiss" until the singing pageant. In fact, right after the Captain reconnects with his children and lets Maria stay, it cuts right to the party scene - there is no scene in-between. Not to mention it's a very lovely moment especially when Leisl joins in to sing with her father. But now the relationship between Maria and the Captain moves faster - too fast for my liking.
This is so ridiculous. There's apparently a character limit on MovieChat because at a certain point it doesn't let me type anymore. There was never one on IMDb that I remember, and this new site doesn't even tell you when you've hit your limit - instead, you're taken by surprise. It's irritating and I wasn't even done.
Anyway, another example of the show moving too fast with story and character development is having Maria sing "Do Re Mi" during the scene where she first meets the children. This is probably the only scene that I have any sort of real problem with, because it's too early. The other stuff I brought up - I don't hate them like I do for West Side Story onstage, but they're just much stronger in the movie.
I've never seen Hair - I read about it and I decided a while ago I didn't really want to see it. Cabaret I don't care for. My Fair Lady is kinda meh for me.
I would definitely check out the stage version of Sweeney Todd. Never seen or heard of Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd.
Hi, StrongRex. I, too have noticed that there seems to be a character limitation on moviechat. There are times when I've had a pretty hard time posting something, and being unable to post everything that I want to post in moviechat, because of the character limit. westsidestorylive Journal is somewhat similar in that way, in that I've had to delete numerous parts of my posts there, due to its character limitations, as well. westsidestorylivejournal, however, at least points out the number of characters that one is allowed to post, if one gets the drift.
It's crazy, in either case.
It really is, especially considering the fact that I've typed out longer posts than that one before, where I describe some of the differences between the Sound of Music movie and stage show. I think this site picks and chooses character limits on different posts and just doesn't tell you what it is.
shareWhat you're saying about westsidestory/live journal picking and choosing characters limits, depending on what the post is, without telling the reader/writer is probably quite true, StrongRex That particular site never used to be like that, but the owner of the site set the limits.
sharegood points raised... an additional point is that the people today dress badly, compared to even a decade or two ago...
so when filmmakers try to introduce visual appeal in the movie through wardrobe it ends up taking it farther away from the street culture that is the key part of the west side story's aesthetic...
Very good points, CheekyMonkey! None of the Jets, the Sharks, and their girls look like streetwise gangs at war with each other. They look far more like ultra-wealthy suburban prep school or college students that are dressed to the nines for partying all over town. They don't look that rough and tough, either.
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