Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro has praised the direction of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, breaking down the gym dance scene. The 2021 remake of the classic 1961 musical was directed and co-produced by the famed E.T director. Del Toro won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for The Shape of Water in 2018.
Released in December 2021, West Side Story revisited the iconic Jets and Sharks gangs of West Side Manhattan in 1957. When conflict between the two gangs begins to build, a pair of star-crossed lovers fall for one another, as Tony and Maria do all they can to avoid the violence. The film was originally scheduled to be released in December 2020, but it was delayed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While upon release the movie was critically praised for its direction, performances, and cinematography, West Side Story underperformed at the box-office, resulting in a box-office bomb. While it may have underperformed financially, del Toro thinks it's still worth a watch.
Taking to his personal Twitter, del Toro created a thread dedicated to the film's gym dance sequence, breaking down the scene for his audience. The director emphasized how difficult the shots within the sequence were to shoot and how Spielberg was able to make the camera "dance" alongside the performers. In his thread, del Toro stated how important every last aspect of the equipment was to create Spielberg's sequence, comparing his work on West Side Story to prior musicals. After discussing how important a filmmaker's vision is, del Toro stated he should be working on a script before closing his thread. Check out del Toro's detailed thread below.
Named one of the AFI's Top Films of 2021, West Side Story was featured alongside other critically acclaimed and frequently discussed titles of the year, such as Dune, Tick, Tick... Boom!, and Don't Look Up, with West Side Story ranking at number ten on the list. Nightmare Alley, del Toro's 2021 neo-noir psychological thriller was also featured on the list at number 6. Both films are also currently expected to do well during the awards season. West Side Story and Nightmare Alley have both been nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, while Spielberg and Ariana DeBose were nominated for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
With West Side Story releasing alongside a highly-anticipated movie like Spider-Man: No Way Home and becoming controversial due to the casting of Elgort following accusations of harassment and assault, the film seemingly fell under the radar of audiences. However, with the film coming soon to Disney+ to wider audiences and del Toro's analysis and praise, many may consider giving it a shot. The director's in-depth thread also comes at an interesting time, as while he emphasized the importance of every aspect of filmmaking, the Academy has come under fire for cutting eight categories from the ceremonies' telecast. Not only could del Toro's thread revive interest in West Side Story, but it could shine a light on how important every aspect of filmmaking is to the craft.
Source: Guillermo del Toro