Latest / Eavesdropping at the Movies
331 - West Side Story (2021)
Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story is here at last. The obvious question it raises is just why such a well-regarded film needs a remake - and the answer quickly becomes clear. Robert Wise's 1961 adaptation of the 1957 stage musical is indeed a classic, but this new version comes from and enters a different America, one in which its message, José argues, is more urgently needed but faces a more difficult challenge to be heard. And on top of that, it's just a really good film. We discuss the film's use of colour and lighting, the brutality of the violence and believability of the…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.