Movie Title: West Side Story

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Tony Kushner, Arthur Laurents

Producers: Kristie Macosko Krieger, Kevin McCollum, Steven Spielberg

Composer: Leonard Bernstein

Cinematographer: Janusz Kaminski

Editors: Sarah Broshar, Michael Kahn

Casting Director: Cindy Tolan

Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Release Date: Dec 10, 2021

MPAA: PG-13

Running Time: 2 hr 36 min

Genres: Crime|Drama|Musical|Romance

Budget: $100million

About Movie and Production

West Side Story is a 2021 American musical romantic drama film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It is the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 stage musical of the same name. It stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in her film debut with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno in supporting roles. The latter, who starred in the 1961 film adaptation, also served as an executive producer alongside Kushner. The film features music composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

West Side Story had its world premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater in New York City on November 29, 2021, three days after Sondheim's death. The film was theatrically distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the 20th Century Studios label in the United States on December 10, 2021 after being delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received universal critical acclaim, with praise for the performances of the cast, Spielberg's direction and the cinematography, with some critics deeming it superior to the 1961 film. It received seven nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was named one of the top ten films of 2021 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. It also received four nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, winning three, including Best Picture – Musical/Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for Zegler, and Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture for DeBose.

Overview

Manhattan, Upper West Side, 1957. Against the backdrop of the decaying tenements in the San Juan Hill neighbourhood and the constant threat of the wrecking ball, two warring gangs--tough Riff's Jets and swaggering Bernardo's Puerto Rican Sharks--fight for supremacy. Now, with a once-and-for-all, winner-takes-all rumble on the cards, an unexpected whirlwind romance at the high-school dance between former Jet brawler Tony and Bernardo's delicate little sister María sets the stage for an all-out turf war. But what's a gang without its territory? Above all, when the future is uncertain, what's hope without love?

Cast

Ansel Elgort as Tony

Rachel Zegler as Maria

Ariana DeBose as Anita

David Alvarez as Bernardo

Mike Faist as Riff

Rita Moreno as Valentina

Brian d'Arcy James as Officer Krupke

Corey Stoll as Lieutenant Schrank

Josh Andrés Rivera as Chino

iris menas as Anybodys

Mike Iveson as Glad Hand

Jamila Velazquez as Meche

Annelise Cepero as Provi

Yassmin Alers as Lluvia

Jamie Harris as Rory

Andréa Burns as Fausta

Curtiss Cook as Abe

Sharks

David Avilés Morales as Anibal

Sebastian Serra as Braulio

Ricardo A. Zayas as Chago

Carlos E. Gonzalez as Chucho

Ricky Ubeda as Flaco

Andrei Chagas as Jochi

Adriel Flete as Julito

Jacob Guzman as Junior

Kelvin Delgado as Manolo

Carlos Sánchez Falú as Pipo

Julius Anthony Rubio as Quique

Yurel Echezarreta as Sebas

David Guzman as Tino

Jets

Sean Harrison Jones as Action

Jess LeProtto as A-Rab

Patrick Higgins as Baby John

Kyle Allen as Balkan

John Michael Fiumara as Big Deal

Kevin Csolak as Diesel

Kyle Coffman as Ice

Daniel Patrick Russell as Little Moly

Ben Cook as Mouthpiece

Harrison Coll as Numbers

Garett Hawe as Skink

Myles Erlick as Snowboy

Julian Elia as Tiger

Shark girls

Ana Isabelle as Rosalia

Tanairi Sade Vazquez as Charita

Yesenia Ayala as Clary

Gabriella M. Soto as Conchi

Juliette Feliciano Ortiz as Cuca

Jeanette Delgado as Ili

Maria Alexis Rodriguez as Isa

Edriz E. Rosa Pérez as Jacinta

Ilda Mason as Luz

Jennifer Florentino as Montse

Melody Martí as Pili

Gaby Diaz as Tati

Isabella Ward as Tere

Jet girls

Paloma Garcia-Lee as Graziella

Eloise Kropp as Dot

Leigh-Ann Esty as Gussie

Lauren Leach as Karen

Brittany Pollack as Mack

Kellie Drobnick as Mamie

Skye Mattox as Maxie

Adriana Pierce as Natalie

Jonalyn Saxer as Rhonda

Brianna Abruzzo as Sorella

Halli Toland as Sweden

Sara Esty as Tat

Talia Ryder as Tessie

Maddie Ziegler as Velma

Three of the Jets from the 1961 film of West Side Story, Harvey Evans, who portrayed Mouthpiece, Bert Michaels, who played Snowboy, and David Bean, who played Tiger, appear as extras. Andréa Burns, who played Maria in the 1992–1993 European Tour of the musical, appears as Fausta.

Plot Summary

In 1957, the Jets, a gang of white youths fight the Puerto Rican Sharks for control of San Juan Hill on Manhattan's West Side. Officer Krupke and Lieutenant Schrank break up the brief skirmish, telling the gangs that their conflict is pointless since the neighborhood will be imminently demolished to make way for Lincoln Center. The gangs are too proud to care, and Jet leader Riff proposes a "rumble" (fight) between the two gangs. He approaches his friend Tony, who is on parole, for help. Tony refuses, wishing to turn over a new leaf with the help of Valentina, the Puerto Rican owner of Doc's general store. Meanwhile, Maria, Shark leader Bernardo's sister, is betrothed to his friend Chino but yearns for independence. At a local dance, Tony and Maria meet and fall in love. This angers Bernardo, who agrees to Riff's terms for a rumble if Tony attends. Tony voices his love for Maria and the couple meets on Maria's fire escape, promising to see each other the next day.

Bernardo and his girlfriend Anita feud over life in New York compared to Puerto Rico, with Anita believing in the American Dream in spite of the pessimistic Bernardo. The police interrogate the Jets about the rumble, but they deny any knowledge. Tony takes Maria on a date to the Cloisters in Upper Manhattan. He reveals he was imprisoned for a year after he nearly beat a rival gang member to death, which scared him into reforming. Maria makes Tony promise to stop the rumble and they pledge their love to one another. Tony tries to convince Riff to call off the rumble by stealing his newly-bought gun, but the Jets steal it back. Schrank orders Krupke and the police to stop the rumble. Despite their and Tony's efforts, the rumble continues and Bernardo fatally stabs Riff. Tony, in a fit of rage, stabs Bernardo and kills him. The gangs flee when the police arrive, while Chino finds Riff's gun.

Maria gushes about her love for Tony at work, but Chino arrives and reveals Tony killed Bernardo. Maria is distraught, but meeting Tony later she refuses to let him turn himself in as it would mean losing him as well, and they plot to run away together. Valentina learns of Bernardo's death and reflects on her mixed-race relationship with the late Doc. Meanwhile, Chino plots to kill Tony against the Sharks' protests. After identifying Bernardo's body at the morgue, Anita returns home to see Maria with Tony as he leaves the apartment. Anita argues with Maria but accepts that she and Tony are in love. While Schrank interrogates Maria about Tony's whereabouts, she sends Anita to warn him about Chino. However, Anita encounters the Jets, who shout racial slurs and attempt to gang rape her, but Valentina intervenes. Traumatized, Anita spitefully claims Chino killed Maria and vows to return to Puerto Rico, giving up all hope on her American dream. Valentina condemns the Jets, who disband in shame.

Valentina informs Tony of Anita's claims, and he runs into the streets begging for Chino to kill him. Maria arrives to his relief, but Chino emerges and shoots Tony; he dies in Maria's arms. Maria takes Chino's gun and aims it at the gathered Jets and Sharks, berating them for the senseless deaths their conflict caused, before tearfully dropping the gun. As the police arrive to arrest Chino, the gangs assemble together to take Tony's body and carry it into Doc's with Maria following.