West Side Story 1961 vs. 2021

West Side Story 1961 vs 2021

By: Sariah E Fox

In 2017, I was in the sixth-grade band. On the days our teacher, Mr. Simmons, could not be in class, we got to watch movies. Any movies that had any music at all made the list of what we could watch. One of those movies was West Side Story. I always loved watching movies as a kid, but this movie felt like a whole different universe. In the short 45 minutes we were in class, I fell in love. The next day, when my teacher returned, I begged to take the disc home to finish it. Over the years I learned more about this movie, and my adoration only grew. In 2021 when the “new” version came out, I didn’t go to see it for many reasons, but the most important reason was this feeling that I was betraying the original version. I finally challenged myself to watch the new movie with an open mind, and now I’m going to compare both versions side by side.

Context and Summary

Before we really begin, you need to understand the cultural context of when the first movie came out. The original play hit “Broadway in 1957 and ran there for 732 performances” (Bauer and Pat). This was before it was popular to support the Civil Rights movement. It’s easier to support a movement when you have your friends or the general public rallying around you. Although West Side Story was a relative hit on Broadway, they wanted to get the message and story out to more people. To accomplish this, they decided to bring it to the big screen.

In 1961, “it appeared in the midst of the Civil Rights Era, when racial segregation was rampant and leading to horrendous acts of violence” (“The Legacy”). It was still pretty controversial to support the Civil Rights movement, but releasing a powerful message of inclusion showcased the stupidity and pointlessness of hate between races. The message the movie was trying to send was such a brave and bold declaration at the time. For context, the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, and while this idea is still so crucial to learn and brave to yell from the rooftops, it is nowhere near as controversial as it would have been back then.

The story is a modern take on Romeo and Juliet

1961 vs 2021

, where instead of two rich noble families, it is two poor racially coded teenage gangs in New York City. One group is labeled as the Jets, and they are a poor white gang. The other is a gang/group of recent Puerto Rican immigrants, who are called the Sharks. The Romeo of this situation is Tony, who is a retired member of the Jets. In this story Juliet is Maria, the younger sister of the leader of the Sharks. They meet at a school dance and are immediately caught by both sides. At this point though, they have already fallen in love, and nothing is going to stop them from being together. The two gangs use the excuse of Maria and Tony falling in love to arrange a fight/rumble the night after the dance.

Impact

Knowing the cultural context of the time they were released can make a big difference in how you perceive the movie. When the movie came out in 1961, it was considered pretty controversial. Despite the story being pretty similar by the time the remake came out in 2021, the social climate was a lot more moderate. The remake was more concerned with trying to tell the authentic story and didn’t cover up a lot of things that were considered hidden meanings in the original. The world has changed a lot in 60
years. I would be disappointed if the world hadn’t changed. 

The original opened the door for more understanding about the immigrants coming to this country. They didn’t show and tell every single nuance, but you could infer what they meant, and it made you think. The remake had the potential to open so many more doors and open up discussion about the past and current treatment of people who immigrate to this country. Not to mention opening dialogue about what racism actually looks like. The 2021 version just came out at an unfortunate time when no one went out to see it. Even with streaming, there wasn’t a chance for it to have a more powerful impact in my opinion.

Box office flop or success

The impact of the 2021 version wasn’t as strong, but not all of that was due to the political climate. The new version was released when “a new COVID variant ha[d] emerged” (Rubin) and there was still a lot of fear about getting sick. Not only did people not want to go out yet, but they also weren’t used to it anymore. In fact, the “‘West Side Story’ remake bombed at the box office when it arrived in theaters… gross[ing] just $76 million at the worldwide box office against its budget of $100 million.” (Sherlock). On the other hand, the original was considered a booming success, making “$43.7 million (or about $400 million adjusted for inflation)” (Coyle). Now that is not to say that the box office and/or profits should decide the greatness of the movie. After watching the remake, there are so many amazing things about this movie that I overlooked. 

Cinematography & Special Effects

"America" in the 1961 version

As I was watching the remake, I noticed how much more complex the camera work was. In the original, they mainly used still-frame cameras because that was the technology available at the time. There are some absolutely incredible scenes that use the improvements we’ve made in technology to its full advantage. For example, during the song Maria, the special effects and camera work in the remake showcase the tunnel vision our main male character, Tony, feels when he first meets Maria in a more immersive way. In the 1961 version it feels a lot more like a fever dream, and they use completely different effects to get the point across. Another example is in the song “America.” In the original it has absolutely stunning choreography, but the song is not as long. They only stay in one location, s

"America" in the 2021 version

witching camera views only a few times. In the remake of the song “America” you travel throughout the city again just like in the prologue. This gives them the opportunity to showcase a lot more of the Puerto Rican people and culture. I felt so much more connected to the story, characters, and culture.

Character differences

Side and background characters having more in-depth or different personalities can completely change the tone of a story. Between the different versions, they changed some of the side characters' names, genders, and roles. One character in particular they changed was Pops. In the 1961 version he is a small drugstore owner who has given Tony a job and home. That is changed in the new version, with an older Puerto Rican

woman owning the drugstore and giving Tony a place to stay and a new perspective on life. I loved Pops as a character, but I loved the symbolism in changing his mentor to a strong older Puerto Rican lady. The one critique I have about this change is the question of the authenticity of not only a woman owning a business but also a recent Puerto Rican immigrant in the Sixties. Is it amazing to think of a strong Puerto Rican woman owning a business? Absolutely. Is it realistic to the time (late 1950s to 1960s)? Probably not. I think this character change created a lot more nuance and gave us more understanding about how Tony, the main character, has grown from some of his more racist ideologies. 

1961 vs 2021

Another important character that they changed by adding background information was a character called Anybodys. In the original, this character is a girl that wants to be part of the Jets but is barred from joining because of her gender. In the remake, Anybodys is “explicitly portrayed as a transgender or non binary character” (Wiki) instead of just leaving her as a tomboy. Personally, I was not a fan of this change. I felt a lot more represented when Anybodys was just a tomboy, but representation of all types was a key goal of this movie. A lot of people felt this was a positive push forward for the trans movement. “It has been banned in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations”(Kellher) for just that reason.

In the remake, the characters had actors farther away from their script-written age. I could tell because they created a lot more depth for certain characters to showcase their age. One character they added more nuance to was Tony. In the original, there was this undercurrent that he could do no wrong. That he tried to leave the Jets, but everything pulled him back in, and he didn’t have much choice in it. In the remake, they explained that he was on parole and had a lot more autonomy and responsibility with his choices. They cast someone much older to play Tony, making his character 26. On its own this doesn’t seem like a problem, but in the context of Maria being 18, it starts feeling a lot more predatory. In the original, Tony was 23 and Maria 22. I definitely noticed this difference when I was watching the movies. I found myself wondering about their age gap more frequently in the remake. In contrast, during the original, I didn’t even really think about it. Their connection felt much more innocent.

Music and Choreography

Overall, I enjoy the music and soundtrack from the 1961 version much more than the 2021 version. This is because I think there is so much more character and soul to several songs. There is something about the backing tracks to the vocals that I prefer as well. There are certain voices I prefer from each version, though. In particular, the male lead's voice is much fuller, is obviously trained, and has less nasal tone. For instance, in the song “Maria”, Tony’s voice sounds so much more developed. Conversely, I prefer the voice of the actor who plays Maria in the remake over the original. My opinion solidified in the song “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love.” There is a part of the song where Maria starts singing so high that I cannot understand her. Whereas in the remake, you can clearly understand every word, and the message hits harder.  

Another difference in the soundtracks is the addition of a song called “La Borinqueña”, which

introduces the sharks. In the original, they did not have this song at all. Instead, there was a long introduction titled “Prologue”, which detailed their rivalry, and only the Jets had their own song. I think this was intentionally done so we could see that the feud had a more aggressive side (the Jets). That’s one of the things I like about the original: the intentionality. Everything feels purposeful and seem to have a meaning. Not to say the remake is not intentional, but they spell out a lot more of the nuances in the movie.

The choreography in the original is a part of that intentionality. The movements themselves are more exaggerated and sharp. The fights themselves are choreographed into a dance that makes the scenes feel more lighthearted. The movements are exaggerated in a way that makes the story feel less heartbreaking. Part of the reason why musicals can bring up such hard issues is because they add a lightness to really difficult situations that people usually have a hard time talking about. In the remake, the choreography is a lot more modern and focuses on trying to include more Puerto Rican culture into the dances. This is actually something I love about the new movie. The dancing is phenomenal, but they lose a lot of the exaggeration in the movements, and with that loss, some of the lightness disappears.

Actors and Accents

Though the acting itself is overall excellent in both versions, the accents they try to imitate are a completely different story. A major example is through the actors playing Maria. In the remake, the actor playing Maria has an obviously fake Puerto Rican accent, and it bothers me in particular when she is singing. You can hear the accent, but it feels so forced and distracts me from the story. In the original, the accent feels a lot more authentic but still off somehow. It never distracts me from the story, though. 

In Conclusion

Both movies are phenomenal works of art, but there are definite positives and negatives to both. The remake was unmatched with the amazing cinematography and detailed characters, but the original surpassed it with the superior soundtrack, more realistic age gap, and lasting impact. The original that I watched one day in my sixth-grade band class will always have a special place in my heart, and like a comfort food, I will always go back to it. Throughout watching the remake, it too has earned a place in my heart. Remakes are created to enhance the original in a new way and provide further context into the story—and they definitely hit the mark in that aspect. I highly recommend watching either version of West Side Story to enjoy this wonderful masterpiece of a musical story!

Works Cited

Rubin, Rebecca. “Variety.” Variety, 13 Dec. 2021, variety.com/2021/film/news/west-side-story-box-office-steven-spielberg-1235131598. 

Sherlock, Ben. “It’s Criminal How Much Steven Spielberg’s $76 Million Box Office Bomb Was Overlooked.” ScreenRant, 7 July 2024, screenrant.com/west-side-story-movie-steven-spielberg-box-office-failure-wrong. 

Coyle, Jake. “Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ Disappoints at the Box Office - Los Angeles Times.” Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2021, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-12/west-side-story-box-office-spielberg. 

Bauer, and Pat. “West Side Story | Plot, Cast, Awards, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2025, www.britannica.com/topic/West-Side-Story-film-by-Robbins-and-Wise. 

Civil Rights Movement History and Timeline, 1961. www.crmvet.org/tim/timhis61.htm. 

“The Legacy.” West Side Stories, 9 Dec. 2021, thenationaldcwestsidestory.org/the-legacy. 

Wiki, Contributors to West Side Story. “Anybodys.” West Side Story Wiki, westsidestory.fandom.com/wiki/Anybodys.