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luvthepros's Replies
This "woke" movement is not my cup 'o tea at all. I actually do not believe in it. Having said that, I enjoyed the hell out of Spielberg's adaptation of the Broadway stage play of West Side Story.
No, that is incorrect. Read about Christine Jorgensen here.......
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Jorgensen
Christine Jorgensen was a very famous transgender, male to female back in the early 50s.
I'm in my early 70s and it is true, I don't go to the movies to see many of the movies that are adorning the big screens these days. That is not for not wanting to go to the movies but for the garbage that is put out there today.
West Side Story is just the kind of movie I will gladly pay to see in a movie theater on a big screen with a big beautiful soundtrack coming at me from all angles on a fantastic sound system. It was thrilling, to say the least the first time I viewed Spielberg's film.
Bring on more movies the caliber of what was on the big screens years ago and you will see more and more "oldies" like myself with our asses in movie theater seats.
Whether in the original 1961 adaptation of the stage play or the Spielberg adaptation of the Broadway stage play, the music and lyrics are not boring but captivating. The story they tell is an old one but those songs tell it so well. Then you add the exciting dancing, I have no idea how anyone could say this movie is "boring". That also goes for both adaptations of the original stage play.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and your opinion is just as valid as mine, so there is that.
You are missing out on a really good movie, so IMHO, you are hurting yourself and denying yourself to be thoroughly entertained. You are not alone by staying away and making your point that this classic movie did not need to be remade and the box office numbers evidently are very telling. That is just too bad because the movie is splendid.
I understand your need to "protest" this version because you love the original 1961 version so much. I really do get it. In fact, I was very upset when I heard that Spielberg was intending to remake this classic musical. After seeing the trailer, I got past that and I'm so glad I did. You may not want to hear this but I came out of the theater after seeing the new WSS for the first time and I was convinced what I had just seen was so much better than the 1961 original movie. The choreography and dancing in this new version is so splendid and so much more realistic, I was just enthralled by the beauty of it.
I do get that you are protesting the movie with your pocketbook. Wait until you can see it on cable TV and you will realize then that this movie would have been spectacular to see on the big screen.
Movie musicals, whether the old classics or the more modern versions must have talented lead actors and actresses that are trained dancers. I did not buy the performances in La La Land by the two leads. They were horrible and I kept comparing them to actors and actresses of the old classic musicals. I don't even need to mention names because we older folks know who those talented triple threats were.
I am an oldie and I absolutely loved the original 1961 version of West Side Story. I could not imagine a remake would be any better than the original. After seeing one trailer of Spielberg's version , I was quite interested. I liked that the lead actors did their own singing and I was very open to this new version for that reason alone.
Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer did not do their own singing in the original movie and neither one of them were were trained dancers either. In this new version, the lead actor who plays Tony is a trained dancer and has a voice like velvet. I enjoyed his performance so much more than Beymer's performance. Natalie Wood was a good actress in the 1961 original adaptation of the stage play, but her accent was never convincing to me. This young actress who plays Maria does a wonderful job and is more realistic in the role. In fact, the entire Spielberg version is more realistic which is another reason I truly loved the new version.
My, oh my, was I gobsmacked at what I saw in the theater for my first viewing of this new modern version of West Side Story. I loved it so much, I went back the following day to see it again. I was totally overwhelmed by the acting and the phenomenal dancing I saw on that big screen. The water works started for me as soon as the first note was sung and I pretty much fought back tears throughout the entire movie. That happened to me both times I saw it. One of these days, I'm determined to watch this gorgeous work by Spielberg and not have a headache at the end of the movie from being so emotional.
I appreciate the effort and the accents did not take me out of it at all. In fact, great work by the dialect coaches.
Like you, I was also very emotional every time a musical number was on screen. I fought back tears throughout most of the movie and I did that twice, two days in a row. Spielberg's West Side Story is so beautiful to watch and listen to.
Seriously......your loss.
What is with this "woke" expression? Is it supposed to me an "awareness"?
What exactly is so "woke" about this version of WWS? Is the implied transgender character in Anybodys is what makes Speilberg's version woke? There were trans people back in the 50's I would imagine but not in the forefront. What is the big deal?
Also......people are calling this version "woke" because Hispanic and LatinX actors are playing the roles of the Puerto Rican characters. What is so wrong with that, may I ask? That is what "woke" is all about? Well, that was actually the best decision to cast only Hispanic and LatinX actors in those roles. And........they ace their parts with excellent acting. The original version had lilly white actors portraying many of the Puerto Rican characters with brown make up. Their accents were also not very realistic with not one word of Spanish uttered in the entire film. No realism there.
Don't get me wrong. I loved the original 1961 film of the 1957 adaptation of the Broadway play. I loved Natalie Wood in the role of Maria and Richard Beymer as Tony. After seeing Spielberg's film, I realize, without a doubt, Spielberg's two lead actors' performances are better than in the 1961 film, IMHO. I cannot believe I said that! They do their own singing for a start. I just LOVE Ansel's velvety voice and the young girl's soprano is just beautiful as is she.
You can take that "woke" stuff and put it on the back burner. This current film is the better film of the two, without a doubt in my mind.
You don't need to know any Spanish at all to understand what is being conveyed in the film. As someone already said, much of the Spanish is immediately translated to English by the characters. The dialogue is done very smartly in these instances. The characters are prompted by Anita to "speak English!" and so they do speak those passages in Spanish and English.
There are also those times when the meaning of the Spanish spoken word is conveyed to the audience in the facial expressions and stunning acting done by the cast. Honestly, anyone who does not get the understanding of what is being conveyed on on the screen in Spanish is just plain lazy or totally unaware.
How can you say you "don't care for Spielberg's film version of WWS" if you haven't seen it?
You are cutting off your nose to spite your face (that is how the saying goes). Your loss.
I absolutely love the original WWS but I never thought I would be saying this......Speilberg's remake is outstanding and is even better than the original. All the principal actors' performances are more convincing that the original actors. Wood and Beymer had their voices dubbed. Wood could not keep her Hispanic accent consistent. This new cast is outstanding. Ansort is an amazingly convincing Tony and Zegler puts Natalie Wood's performance to shame. So glad Speilberg took on this project.
Same here. I don't speak Spanish yet I was able to understand what was being communicated. The acting was superb and that was a major part of the communication. Also...much of the Spanish was immediately translated in English when the characters were reminded to "speak English!!!" Honestly, it was done very seamlessly.
I saw it today. I never ever thought I would say this but, this movie is BETTER than the original. Ansel is the most glorious Tony and this young actress puts Natalie Wood to shame as Maria. The actor who played Bernardo is awesome as are many of the ancillary actors.
I recognize several dancers from So You Think You Can Dance, Jess LoProtto being one of them. The dancing in this is far superior to the original. I'm seeing it again in two days and this time I'm taking my husband to see it.
I don't know if Danny Kaye was able to play the cornet but it did say, in the beginning credits of the movie that Danny Kaye's solos were performed by Red Nichols.
I have always thought the hot towels were to help the muscles rehabilitate. The polio virus was long gone by the time Red's daughter was at home so the hot towels were not used for the virus itself.
Can Jim Carrey sing like Danny Kaye? I've never seen Carrey sing.
The movie is a fantasy......just like heaven.