MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (2021) Discussion > “Independentista” Agenda

“Independentista” Agenda

posted 3 years ago by Boricanator (1440)
9 replies | jump to latest

I am Puerto Rican and I picked this up immediately.

The first song the Sharks sang was the Revolutionary Himn of Puerto Rico, not the official Himn. They used the light blue Puerto Rican flag under the argument that it was the original flag. That was debunked. The original flag is turquoise blue. That’s the official flag of Puerto Rico.

Then they include: “Viva Puerto Rico Libre”, which means Puerto Rico free.

Newsflash! Most Puerto Ricans don’t believe in Independence. Even in 1957. The writers just shoe-horned this in and I cringed.

And then when Anita says: “I am not American. I am Puerto Rican.” Double cringe!

Most Puerto Ricans are pro-USA. We have served in the military and love our U.S. Citizenship. We have voted to either maintain the current relationship with the U.S.A. and for Statehood. Even at it’s height, Independence was never favored by the majority. Just five years before West Side Story was written, Puerto Ricans had ratified our Constitution and the current relationship with the U.S.A.

I say this because this film was promoted as being more authentic about Puerto Ricans. They failed. It only represented a small cross section of Puerto Ricans. To make it worse, it relied on historical stereotypes portraying Puerto Ricans as hot headed rabble rousers and criminals.

As a Puerto Rican, I don’t identify with this film.

[–] liscarkat (18367) 3 years ago

You're right, of course, but Spielberg's woke agenda leads him to promote the minority point of view and ignore the majority of Puerto Ricans. You can't be woke and pro-U.S.A.

[–] strntz (12223) 3 years ago

You can't be woke and pro-U.S.A.

Exactly.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

"It only represented a small cross section of Puerto Ricans."

Well duh! It's about New York street gangs, who are a tiny minority of Puerto Ricans, and any other racial or ethnic group.

The Sharks don't represent the Puerto Ricans you know, any more than the Jets represent the white people I know.

[–] Boricanator (1440) 3 years ago

If you knew Puerto Ricans who are in gangs or in any criminal activity , you’d know that they are not Independentistas. They either belong to mainstream parties or are simply apolitical.

That’s why it was cringeworthy.

Besides, this film was promoted as being a version that was more authentically Puerto Rican. That’s what makes this worse.

[–] mplo (2356) 3 years ago

Yes, but it's about a white European Ethnic American NYC street gang, and a newly-arrived Puerto Rican Street gang. In both instances, the Puerto Rican Sharks and the native NYC White European Ethnic American Jets are in the minority, because most Puerto Ricans and most white Native NYC European Ethnic Americans are not in any street gang(s), either.

[–] luvthepros (795) 3 years ago

@ otter........
Seems right to me. Great synopsis.

[–] IMDBRefugee1SD (139) 3 years ago

Tony Kushner is a great writer, but no doubt under his influence, Spielberg was talked into this unnecessary addition.
And since one of the themes of West Side Story is that despite their cultural differences the Jets And Sharks are
alike, The added focus on the Sharks upsets this balance. Racism is a theme of the piece, but is sufficiently addressed
in the song "America". Another change that was ill advised is giving the song "Somewhere" to Anita. It broadens the focus
to the gangs, but I much prefer the song as a duet between Tony and Maria who are the main focus of the show.

[–] mplo (2356) 3 years ago

You've made some good points that are well taken, IMDBRefugee1SD. Frankly, however, the whole way in which the reboot/remake of the film version of West Side Story was done really did upset the balance of the film as a whole, and it really did not feel at all like West Side Story to me.

[–] Boricanator (1440) 2 years ago

And even “America” was changed. They took away the part of Puerto Rico sinking back into the ocean. That part is very important in her character development.