Warning: This post contains spoilers for West Side Story.
West Side Story’s biggest changes from the 1961 movie. Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Tony Kushner, West Side Story was remade while maintaining its roots. Originally adapted from the 1957 Broadway play of the same name, West Side Story was first made into a movie in 1961, which starred Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno, and Richard Beymer. The updated version of the film keeps the same story, but there are enough changes to make Spielberg’s West Side Story stand out from its predecessor.
Set in the late 1950s, West Side Story follows the Jets — a mostly Irish-American street gang led by Riff (Mike Faist) — in their racist-fueled hatred against the Sharks — a Puerto Rican gang led by Bernardo (David Alvarez). They plan to fight in a bid to take control of the neighborhood, but their feud is complicated when Tony (Ansel Elgort), a former member of the Jets, and Maria (Rachel Zegler), Bernardo’s sister, meet and fall in love.
Spielberg’s West Side Story keeps the primary story intact, but there are quite a few alterations made from the original musical film adaptation, including song order and lyrics, set locations, and character changes. Here are the biggest story changes from the 1961 West Side Story.
Valentina Replaces The Character Of Doc In West Side Story
In the 1961 film, Doc is the one who runs the drugstore; it’s also a prime location for when the Jets and the Sharks meet up to establish the rules of the Rumble. However, for West Side Story 2021, Rita Moreno plays Valentina, essentially a repurposed version of Doc. Valentina has a similar role, but there are marked differences. As a Puerto Rican character, however, Valentina taking a chance on Tony and having been married to a white man changes the dynamics between her and all of the characters. Ultimately, Valentina plays a pivotal role in West Side Story and she also gets to sing one of the songs, which is something Doc never did in the 1961 film.
West Side Story’s Songs & Who Sings Them Are Changed
Speaking of West Side Story’s songs, they’re a bit different in the 2021 film than they are in the older version of the story. The songs themselves are largely the same — “America” is the exception because it’s a combination of the 1961 film and the original stage production — but who sings some of them and where they’re situated in the story is somewhat different. In Spielberg’s film, “Gee, Officer Krupke,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America” all come at different points in the film. The first occurs while some of the Jets are in the police precinct being questioned about the Rumble instead of in the streets.
“I Feel Pretty” is a song that is sung not while Maria is at a bridal shop and before the Rumble, but after the fight and while Maria is cleaning a department store. Finally, Spielberg takes “America” to the streets rather than a rooftop, with the song coming the morning after the gym dance rather than before. “Cool” is changed so that it comes before the Rumble instead of after. What’s more, it’s sung by Tony to Riff rather than by Ice following Riff’s death. “Somewhere” is sung by Valentina instead by Tony to Maria after she finds out he killed Bernardo. When Tony is dying in her arms at the end, Maria sings lines from "One Hand, One Heart" instead of "Somewhere" like in the '60s film.
Anybodys Is Trans In 2021’s West Side Story
In the original 1961 movie (and in the play) Anybodys is a young woman who is a tomboy and wants nothing more than to be a member of the Jets and one of the guys. While Anybodys’ character has always leaned towards being a trans character, 2021’s West Side Story makes the implication overt. In the updated story, Anybodys is played by nonbinary actor Ezra Menas. Anybodys follows the Jets everywhere and isn’t exactly accepted by them — the character is mocked for trying to join their ranks and for being trans — before finally garnering the Jets’ attention.
Maria Doesn’t Work At A Bridal Shop
In the 1961 West Side Story, Maria works at a dress shop with Anita. This is where she sings “I Feel Pretty” initially. However, in the new film, Maria works as a cleaner, sweeping the floors and spraying the counters at a department store in another New York City neighborhood. Anita, meanwhile, still works with dresses, sewing them and hoping to one day open up her own store. The department store is also where Chino comes to tell Maria that Tony killed Bernardo, whereas he comes up to the roof in the 1961 movie to give her the information.
Tony Doesn’t Meet With Bernardo & The Sharks Before The Rumble
In the 1961 film, Tony and the Jets meet with Bernardo and the rest of the Sharks at Doc’s drugstore to lay out the terms of the Rumble. It’s there that Tony convinces Bernardo that the fight should be fair and that no weapons will be allowed. However, that’s not the case in 2021’s West Side Story. Tony only approaches Riff and the other Jets in a bid to convince them not to use the gun Riff bought at a bar, singing the song “Cool” to encourage his friends to temper their anger before it gets the better of them.
Maria & Tony Don’t Go On A Date In 1961’s West Side Story
In 1961’s West Side Story, Tony and Maria don’t go on a formal date. Instead, Tony visits Maria at the bridal shop where she works. It’s there that she makes him promise to prevent the Rumble, to which he says he will. They also reenact a wedding, but in the 2021 movie they visit a church in another part of the city where they have their date and then sing “One Hand, One Heart.” It’s apt that they would be singing wedding-like vows to each other in a church and that they would actually go on a date after meeting for the first time. It gives their relationship a bit more depth (but not by much) than in the original film.
West Side Story’s Rumble Takes Place In A Salt Warehouse
In the 1961 film, the big Rumble between the Jets and the Sharks takes place beneath a bridge. While the location under the bridge is mentioned in 2021’s West Side Story, the characters think it’s more practical to stay out of sight completely and agree to meet inside a salt warehouse instead. This way, they are less easily detected by the cops who are out looking for them.