They adapted “West Side Story”. We didn’t need it

Despite the fact that the film is filled with symbols of Puerto Rican nationalist movements, it has not been denounced or described the way the people who adopted these symbols have been viewed and criminalized for so long, either by the federal government or by Puerto Rico. There is a special irony in the scene where a gang of sharks sings the revolutionary anthem of Puerto Rico as they drive away from the police. how he has Cultural critic Francis Negron Montaner explained: In real life, this act is very likely to cause sharks to fall under the watch of the FBI.

In the community examination organized by the center, this scene received no applause, celebration, or any visible reaction, only silence.

Spielberg indicated that he chose not to use English subtitles in Spanish dialogues so as not to do so “Giving strength to the English language”. But identity and language is a complex issue and not all Latinos speak Spanish. When words are not translated, they can easily lose their meaning and strength. In one scene, Anita played Ariana Debus, Afro-Latin actress known as gayShe confronts her boyfriend Bernardo after he keeps her away from a family conversation. I asked him if he reprimanded her for being “brown,” a derogatory term for people of color. It is possible that the English-speaking audience will not understand this charge of coloring.

In the movie, the American-born actors use an exaggerated accent thanks to the help of dialect coaches Spielberg hired. This results in a kind of Brown Linguistically, something similar to practice black face, where blacks are imitated with exaggerated make-up. This use of Spanish results in little more than a facade of authenticity, as does the brown makeup the actors wore in the original.

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All this raises the question: What is the point of this new version? Making a movie that speaks more “authentic” to a Latin audience? Or make a movie that non-Hispanics can consume without guilt?

One cool aspect of this adaptation surely is the portrayal of Anita as an unapologetic black woman. in the song”America“From the 1961 issue, Anita is so happy to leave Puerto Rico that she wishes the island could sink into the ocean.” In a paraphrase of the new song, the most disparaging verses about Puerto Ricans have been removed: Now, Anita sings paradoxically about Puerto Rican and American life. This leads us to ask: In what way did her experience as a black woman change her view of Puerto Rican and American life?

At this point, the new version feels, for a moment, as a true representation of the experiences of Puerto Ricans, not only for those who emigrated in the 1940s and 1950s, but also for those still in crisis. Puerto Rico’s Debt, Energy Crisis, and Multiple Disasters. Oftentimes, black women like Anita feel first-hand the effects of fiscal austerity, deteriorating infrastructure, abandoned schools, and the rising cost of living.

Terry Alexander

"Award-winning music trailblazer. Gamer. Lifelong alcohol enthusiast. Thinker. Passionate analyst."

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