Steven Spielberg discusses his decision to omit subtitles in West Side Story. The director's latest project is the second feature-length adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name. The original film adaptation was highly praised by fans and critics alike, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1961, as well as the record holder for the most Academy Awards for a musical, winning a total of 10 that year, including Best Picture. Often regarded as one of the greatest musical films of all time, Spielberg took on the challenges that came with remaking West Side Story in his first attempt at the genre.
The plot of Spielberg's West Side Story remains the same: Two teenagers fall in love in 1950s New York City, despite having affiliations with rival street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The film stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in the lead roles of Tony and María, and features Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, and Mike Faist. Rita Moreno, who starred in the original 1961 adaptation, appears in a supporting role and serves as an executive producer this time around. Ahead of its release, the remake has garnered early critical acclaim, with many praising its direction and screenplay. Spielberg has been open about how recreating West Side Story fulfilled a childhood dream of his and how his respect for its story influenced any changes made during the filmmaking process.
One note many critics have pointed out is that this West Side Story does away with subtitles. IndieWire recently revealed the reasoning behind Spielberg's creative decision to not subtitle any of the Spanish dialogue in the film. The director said the he chose to omit subtitles "out of respect for the inclusivity of our intentions to hire a totally Latinx cast to play the Sharks’ boys and girls." While many could argue against his choice, believing it leaves non-Spanish speaking audiences unaware of what is being said, the director felt he needed to respect the language and his cast of actors. Read more of Spielberg's explanation regarding the omission of subtitles below:
"That was a mandate that I put down to Cindy Tolan who cast the movie, that I wasn’t going to entertain any auditions that aren’t parents or grandparents or themselves from Latinx countries. Especially Puerto Rico, we looked a lot in Puerto Rico, we have 20 performers in our film from Puerto Rico or they’re Nuyorican. That was very important and that goes hand-in-hand with my reasoning for not subtitling the Spanish. If I subtitled the Spanish I’d simply be doubling down on the English and giving English the power over the Spanish. This was not going to happen in this film, I needed to respect the language enough not to subtitle it."
Spielberg's decision is important, not only for audiences of the film, but for his cast. Moreno has spoken about the 1961 version's lack of diversity, where white actors were made to appear Puerto Rican. Her involvement behind the scenes on this adaptation affords her of a say in its approach to certain ideas. Moreno has praised Spielberg's creative choices and explained how his West Side Story can help advance the representation of Latinx actors in Hollywood.
Fans of the stage musical and original film adaptation should not mind the updates Spielberg gave to West Side Story. His version aims to be more authentic, and so far, critics have praised that approach. Audiences do not want to see more of the same anyways, and Spielberg's film offers fans many other changes to be excited about. As anticipation surrounding the film grows, fans will get a chance to revisit West Side Story when it arrives in theaters on December 10.
Source: IndieWire