Timothy Roy

What a fresh and inspired take on a classic of classics, West Side Story! Spielberg has created a new and improved story with obvious roots in the original, but with original twists and turns—enough not to commit heresy for any but the crazed super fans of the original, but all for the ultimate goal of making someone new and powerful. I felt the desperation, the clawing for every last inch of territory, the feeling of futility and anger misdirected towards others in acts of rebellion towards the system that contributed to keeping people down, combined with the evils of racism…and it is all so much more visceral in this film. The character development is deep and drew me in to the ultimately tragic struggles for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I felt little of this in the original. I shed no tears watching the original, which, let’s face it, was more of an artistic, superficial rendition, meant more for the masses, with a story (a West Side Story) which could have been so much more impactful if it had the same emotional impact of this new, Steven Spielberg film.