Forget La La Land, This Steven Spielberg $74M Flop Is a Masterpiece We All Slept On

Summary:

• West Side Story was Steven Spielberg 's dream project – the film was released in 2021 but was a box office failure.
• Like the musical itself, the 1961 film West Side Story is a cult project that brought the musical genre to a wider audience by focusing on social issues.
• Spielberg's version was every bit as good as the 1961 version, but failed due to its release during the pandemic, lack of proper marketing, and being overshadowed by projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home.

When the original musical West Side Story first opened on Broadway in 1957, Steven Spielberg was 11 years old. When the 1961 film version by Jerome Robbins was released, Spielberg was 15.

West Side Story is the movie of Spielberg's childhood, and the film that is legendary: of eleven Oscar nominations, the 1961 film won ten. It also played an important role in the evolution of the genre.

The musical was no longer entertainment for a narrow circle – it attracted a wide audience by revealing the real problems of real people.

What is West Side Story About?

New York, early 1960s. A new housing development is planned on the site of a Manhattan slum. In the meantime, these ruins are home to the two biggest gangs on the West Side: the white Jets, led by Riff, and the Sharks, a Puerto Rican group that claims the territory as their own.

Former Jets member Tony is trying to lead a normal life after a year in prison. One day, Riff lures Tony to negotiate. There he sees Maria, the sister of the leader of the Sharks, and they fall in love.

West Side Story Was Spielberg’s Dream Project

Spielberg had long dreamed of making his own version of West Side Story. It is generally accepted that he had nothing to do with musicals, but this is not entirely true.

The late 1970s war comedy 1941 featured a brilliant chase scene that took place at a dance competition. The characters ran through the area occupied by dancing couples, and this episode could have graced any musical of the time.

In all his interviews, the director has insisted that he was guided not by the 1961 film, but by the Broadway original. But his West Side Story looks like a declaration of love not only to the musical or New York, but also to cinema.

And Spielberg wasn't entirely honest when he said that he hadn't been inspired by the first on-screen version. He turns the iconic role of pharmacy owner into a female one, giving it to Rita Moreno, who played Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, in the 1961 film.

It is she who sings the climactic song, Somewhere, an anthem of hope for a new life in which there will be no place for hate.

West Side Story Was a Box Office Flop

Upon its release in 2021 West Side Story received rave reviews from critics, but failed miserably at the box office, which it certainly did not deserve – it only grossed $74 million.

This was due to several factors – from the fact that the movie was released during a pandemic (when superhero films made most of the money) and was not properly marketed, to the fact that its release was overshadowed by projects such as The Matrix Resurrections and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

How to Watch West Side Story?

Either way, West Side Story became perhaps the best musical of the century (sorry, La La Land fans), and deserves to be noticed – it is available on Disney+.