Steven Spielberg is one of Hollywood's most successful figures, writing, directing and producing dozens of films that have both sold out and loved critics.
So, it's safe to say that every aspiring filmmaker loves to get some career advice from a guru.
But when it comes to the upcoming West End Story, Spielberg's advice to aspiring filmmakers isn't what you'd expect.
When asked what he wanted more people to know about what filmmaking was, Spielberg quickly replied that he wanted people not to really understand how cameras work.
As Spielberg says, watching a movie is a magical experience that can be ruined if people know how their favorite stories are pieced together.
In Spielberg's words: "I hope they never learn anything about filmmaking." I hope they never know. I hope they never see the people behind the scenes.
I think if they don't want to be a filmmaker, so if they don't want to get into the industry, they just want to be entertained, or they want to be taken somewhere else, it's better not to know too much because you don't want to tear down that proverbial fourth wall.
You want to keep yourself safe, and you don't need to know anything other than what this story throws at you. ”
While Spielberg wants the public not to learn about filmmaking, he said he is keeping a close eye on a new generation of storytellers who are using their phones to touch the world.
Spielberg believes: "There's another group of people who want to tell their stories, who are now telling their stories on iPhones, who are now telling their stories on social media, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. I've been following them, and these people should know what needs to be done to prepare the script. ”
For these aspiring storytellers, Spielberg was happy to offer his advice. And that has nothing to do with the movement of the camera, because technology isn't as important as getting people to watch your movie.
As Spielberg explains, "The only piece of advice I want to give you is not to pay too much attention to the technology and not too much about the location of the cameras and lights."
Worrying about one thing or thinking about one thing and allowing yourself to focus on, how do you tell a really interesting story so that no one will walk out of the room while telling the second act of the story? How are you going to tell a story that gets people interested in what you're telling, and they don't back down and don't start looking around the room?
Start by finding a way to express your art through storytelling. Once you've done that, there are a lot of people in the world who will circle around you and give you guidance, but learning how to be a storyteller is the most important piece of advice I can give you. ”
Spielberg's West End Story is the second feature-length film adaptation of the 1957 stage play of the same name, with lyrics written by the recently deceased Steven Sandheim.
The musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet features Ansel Elgert and Rachel Zegler, who play the unfortunate lovers Ofony and Maria, respectively.
The film also stars David Alvarez, Mike Feist, Ariane Deboss, Brian Darcy James, and Cory Storr.
The actress who played Anita in her first film in 1961, Rita Moreno, re-starred as Valentina, the owner of the corner shop where Tony worked. Moreno is also one of the film's executive producers.
Adapted in 1961 by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, The West End Story is arguably one of the greatest musicals of all time and one of the best musical theater films of all time, winning ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
For the average person, trying to make a new version may seem daunting, but Steven Spielberg put a lot of effort into this new adaptation of the film, which feels fresh and does not lose the classic feel of the original.
Written by Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, Spielberg's West End Story is more political than the 1961 version, but the incredible cinematography, color palette and off-screen choreography still feel like a classic musical.
While purists can argue which adaptation is the best, there is no doubt that Spielberg threw himself wholeheartedly into the project and made a film that could proudly rival the Oscar winners that Wise and Robbins loved.
"Why do we need another West End Story?" When the 1961 edition was such a respected classic, it was a legitimate question.
However, we have been revived by musicals on Broadway, and it is fair to consider Spielberg's work in such a context.
That's not to say how much room for improvement is in Wise and Robbins' version (although no one wears brown in Spielberg's adaptation, and he often conducts dialogues in Spanish without subtitles, which is undoubtedly an improvement), but West End Story is a work that still feels very direct and worth the new actors dealing with the material, and Spielberg is also experimenting with genres he never fully tried.
Despite the strong cast, West End Story also reminds us that Spielberg was unshakable when he was at the peak of his career.
Spielberg has tried musicals in films like 1941 and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but in this film, he'll go all out to create dazzling effects.
Spielberg's way of moving the camera and his reliance on close-ups made his version very different from the 1961 version, while not taking anything from Wise and Robbins' version.
The interplay between Justin Peck's choreography and Spielberg's camera moves is stunning, especially in scenes like the gym dance and "Cool." While Spielberg never gave up, this is undoubtedly his best work since 2012's Lincoln.
Between Lincoln and West End Story, there are good reasons to work with Kushner. Kushner's script is more open in terms of social criticism, but in a more modern and thoughtful way.
For example, in "Gee, Officer Krupke," the 1961 version is more like boys playing different roles in the game system, but here it's more like the system that's the problem.
The film also publicly shows anyones as a transgender person and simply accepts it as a fact. In addition to adding a lot of Spanish dialogue, Kushner brought the plot closer to the 1957 version of the stage play, making "I Feel Pretty" appear after the quarrel, adding a layer of tragedy that was missing from the 1961 film.
In addition, by staging "Cool" between Reeve and Tony, the conflict between them takes on a whole new dimension that helps flesh out both characters.
Finally, by updating Doc's character to Valentina (Rita Moreno), you can not only connect the legendary figure who earned the EGOT to the original, but also add a new dimension to Tony's character by showing their relationship.
These are well-thought-out adjustments, not large-scale reforms. It's clear that both Spielberg and Kushner have a deep and abiding respect for this material, and they treat West End Story not to "fix" it, but to provide small updates that help further emphasize the strengths of arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Steven Sandheim, and Jerome Robbins.
That's not to make the film "more courageous" or "cooler," but to embrace it as a classic musical and trust that audiences will be as captivated by it as they have been for decades.
While I'm sure modern audiences will love the 1961 version as well, Spielberg's performance suggests that he has something new that is just as worth seeing as the towering classics.