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West Side Story
Movie

West Side Story

2021 • Crime, Drama, Musical

Woke Score
6.8
out of 10

Plot

Manhattan, Upper West Side, 1957. Against the backdrop of the decaying tenements in the San Juan Hill neighbourhood and the constant threat of the wrecking ball, two warring gangs--tough Riff's Jets and swaggering Bernardo's Puerto Rican Sharks--fight for supremacy. Now, with a once-and-for-all, winner-takes-all rumble on the cards, an unexpected whirlwind romance at the high-school dance between former Jet brawler Tony and Bernardo's delicate little sister María sets the stage for an all-out turf war. But what's a gang without its territory? Above all, when the future is uncertain, what's hope without love?

Overall Series Review

The 2021 adaptation of *West Side Story* maintains the core narrative of forbidden romance against gang conflict, but the film recontextualizes the original material through a clear, contemporary social lens. The central conflict of the Jets versus the Sharks is heavily framed as a clash rooted in systemic oppression, xenophobia, and gentrification. The film places significant emphasis on the immutable characteristics of the characters, specifically race and ethnicity, as the primary engine for the story’s tragedy, while simultaneously introducing explicit elements of gender identity and non-binary representation. The moral authority is consistently placed with the marginalized groups and the female characters, while white male characters often embody the forces of incompetence, aggression, and systemic corruption. The setting itself, a neighborhood being demolished for new development, functions as a visual critique of Western/American society's failure to protect its working-class communities. The only category that scores low is Anti-Theism, as the film handles the religious faith of the Puerto Rican characters with respect.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics8/10

The narrative explicitly links the gang rivalry to 'structural racism in America,' systemic oppression, and xenophobia. The white male characters, specifically the members of the Jets and the local police, are generally depicted as bigoted, thuggish, and a source of violent toxicity, with the police officers shown to be corrupt and racist enforcers of the status quo. The Puerto Rican Sharks are presented as victims of discrimination and displacement, with the casting choices emphasizing authentic 'representation' as a core political goal. The plot exists to showcase the injustices faced by one racial group at the hands of another and the greater system.

Oikophobia7/10

The setting's backdrop of decaying tenements being destroyed for the construction of the new Lincoln Center frames the 'home' of the Jets and the Sharks as a fundamentally corrupt American landscape driven by gentrification and political displacement. The film establishes a distinct hostility toward the American system, which structurally oppresses its residents through economic and racial anxiety. The men of the Puerto Rican gang express deep insecurity and alienation, while one of the most prominent female characters expresses a desire for traditional life away from America.

Feminism5/10

The female characters, particularly Anita and Maria, carry the clear moral weight of the story and their perspectives are elevated above the men’s, notably during the song 'America.' The men are portrayed as being trapped by 'toxic masculinity' and gang loyalty, which inevitably leads to tragedy. However, the female characters are not depicted as perfectly 'Girl Boss' types, but rather as strong figures operating within their cultural constraints and facing direct male brutality, which tempers the score from a maximum rating.

LGBTQ+8/10

The character of Anybodys is deliberately updated from the original 'tomboy' to an explicitly transgender character, played by a non-binary actor, which is a clear and intentional insertion of contemporary gender ideology into the classic narrative. Dialogue is added to center the character's gender identity, featuring an emotional outburst where the character rejects being called a girl. The focus on a character's sexual identity and subsequent 'affirmation' moves the story beyond a normative structure.

Anti-Theism2/10

The film does not portray hostility toward religion; instead, it acknowledges the Catholic faith of the Puerto Rican community as a source of cultural identity and moral solace. Maria and Tony’s first encounter after the dance takes place in a church-like space (The Cloisters), where they kneel and sanctify their love 'before God.' The new character Valentina is a moral compass whose version of the song 'Somewhere' is described as a prayer, treating the transcendent aspect of faith respectfully.