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Home » The old “West Side Story” was wrong halfway through the story. Spielberg’s new film tries to do just that

The old “West Side Story” was wrong halfway through the story. Spielberg’s new film tries to do just that

Natalie Wood, left, played Mary in the original film. "Western story" Rachel Ziegler, right, plays her in the new film.

The original 1961 film won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. But for decades, the narrative of “Romeo and Juliet” through the lens of white and Puerto Rican gangs in New York was criticized by Puerto Ricans who felt insulted by the way the characters were portrayed in the cartoon. . ‘Island.

The songs are mostly the same, but the story is different in several notable ways, especially when it comes to the Puerto Rican characters in the film.

Here’s a look at how the new “West Side Story” responds to some of the mistakes made in the original film.

How Spielberg Tried to Solve Maria’s Problem

Natalie Wood played Mary in the 1961 film, dubbing Marnie Nixon’s voice for all of the heroine’s songs. None of them were Puerto Rican, not even Latino. Neither was most of the cast of the film.

Spielberg’s version is written by Colombian-American Rachel Ziegler as Mary. And all the other Puerto Rican characters are also played by Latino actors.
“It’s so important that people like us see people like us on screen,” Ziegler said The film said in a recent “20/20” special“Seeing people like us singing ‘I Feel Pretty,’ seeing people like us falling in love and feeling happy and dancing in pretty dresses. It’s so important that the next generation sees someone like them.” .
Natalie Wood, left, played Mary in the original film. "Western story" Rachel Ziegler, right, plays her in the new film.

Ziegler received favorable reviews for his performance. However, not everyone is sold on the casting option.

“I have a problem with Hollywood looking for the easiest way to raise a Puerto Rican actress. They think that as long as the actors are Hispanic, that’s enough,” wrote the Daily Beast’s deputy editor. Recent column by Mandy Wells. “Except it’s not so thirsty for me or for other Puerto Ricans to represent on screen that they might collapse from dehydration.”

There is no one in this film who wears brownface.

In the original “West Side Story,” many actors playing Puerto Rican characters were forced to wear the same dark brown makeup, even Rita Moreno, who is Puerto Rican and played Anita. . .

“I remember one day I said to the make-up artist, because it was like putting mud on my face, it was so dark and I’m pretty Spanish,” and one day I said to the make-up artist, ” My God! Everyone has to be the same color? Moreno told the Futuro Media podcast “In the Thick” in 2017. “Puerto Ricans are French and Spanish …” And it’s true, we’re many colors, we The Taino are Indians, some of us are black.”

When he raised the point on set, Moreno said he received a surprising response.

The makeup artist said to me, ‘What? Are you racist? I was so stunned that I couldn’t come back with an answer. “

in fact "Western story" In the film, Rita Moreno and other actors were forced to wear brownface. In Spielberg's version, Moreno returns to play a new character, without the offensive makeup.

Fortunately, no one is brown-faced in the 2021 film. A diverse cast of actors play Puerto Rican roles, including Ariana De Bos, who is Afro-Latina, and plays Anita.

And this time,…

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