"America" - West Side Story 1961/2021 Supercut

[@MaxHechtman]

Wow! Over ONE MILLION VIEWS! Thank you all so much for watching my supercut of the "America" number and for the positive comments. Really appreciate it all. This was so much fun to edit and I'm so happy you all enjoyed it. Check out another WSS Supercut I did, this time of the "Tonight Quintet" here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2i1p6p6ZtCcmac

[@troyannbladsacker1811]

Just watched your Quintet Supercut about four times. Excellent. I still have to say I much prefer the 1961 original. It was genius. The heads moving to point out the other gang "well they began it, well they began it" stands out as well as Riff singing to Ice "We'll be backing you boy". Ice also stood out in the original but in the Spielberg version I felt like he was just one of the Jets, not second in charge. Ansel, however, was a pleasant surprise. Loved his singing and acting.

[@debbystardust]

@@troyannbladsacker1811 I thought the new movie added a lot of unnecessary backstory, I liked the Spanish though, and the new Maria was angelic. I really liked the Shark girl’s horizontal striped dress and thought it stood out in the 1961 version of America. I also miss the hairspray and purples of the Shark’s 1961 looks.

[@dunknownpersonb]

I am x

[@anthonyflynn9953]

Great job Max, Kudos!

[@shalinituscano3228]

I love that Music

[@RareCandeh]

I like how the 1961 version keeps the whole number in just one set, kind of like watching a play, perhaps even honoring it's Broadway origin. Steven Spielberg's 2021 version is very cinematic and very imaginative, which is also very cool. Each serve as a good example of showing vs telling an audience!

[@cesnav7593]

Spielbergs version uses more Spanish and Spanglish, which is more realistic to how Puerto Rican immigrants would communicate with each other. Also, Spielberg cast REAL Puerto Rican actors vs 1961 version with white actors in bronze face paint (dispicable)!!!

[@bloodcottoncandy]

@@cesnav7593 Kinda wished they went with the dancing from 1961 with the actors from 2021. The dancing and singing in the 2021 one just felt so lifeless to me.

[@Cristobels-Green-Boots]

Er...there was only one Chita Rivera, & the part of Anita was largely written for her, in particular ‘A Boy Like That’ I had the pleasure of working at Her Majesty’s Theatre, quite soon after the cast arrived from New York; every performance, many students paying to stand at the back of the stalls... I found the movie disappointing; the stage sets were minimalist, even surreal; the movie couldn’t make up its mind whether to go for realism, or - as in ‘America’- something like a filmed play. Actually, the number that was better in the movie was ‘Cool’, which was absolutely marvellous (you didn’t have the proscenium arch, so everything was condensed down) - was it the model for Scorsese’s video with MJ? Now, we have a new version which doesn’t attempt to be a remake....I loved the differences in scale, the brutalist scenery that conveys the hopelessness of the ‘turf wars’ - fighting for what? gaining what? Spielberg was right in the way that he handled the action taking place on the streets...& the wide open spaces in ‘America’, the way the cameras were given room to follow the dance, well, that is wonderful! Very well acted by all the cast, & Ms de Bose, just brilliant dance & acting...yes, I’ll definitely watch the movie again! But, there was only one Chita Rivera.....❤️

[@piznoctsauo8141]

@@cesnav7593 Not all Puertorricans or Latin are "bronze". Begin to vanish your own preconceptions before bashing others' ;)

[@mizusenshisongs]

It's kind of like what they did with the two big full cast numbers in "In The Heights," the title song and "96,000." In the play they had limited stage space to work with, but in the movie they made them bigger, more cinematic numbers with tons of dancers and stuff because, well, they could. The grander scale allowed it. They kinda did the same thing when they adapted "Newsies" for Broadway. The movie has big musical numbers like "Carrying The Banner," "Seize The Day," and "King of New York," that are practically made for Broadway, and they took those numbers and added acrobatics and all sort of craziness to the choreography cause you can do stuff like that in stage shows and it's not considered over the top. I also like how they made use of the fire escape backdrop in various different ways that made the stage seem larger (Hamilton does a similar thing with its backdrop). Though to be fair I have not seen that show live (just the filmed version that is on Disney+).

[@littlemissblackdress7587]

Everyone’s talking about how great Rita and Ariana are, but fail to mention how outstanding George Chakiris and David Alvarez are as Bernardo. They both gave excellent performances and are wonderful to watch.

[@patuberTV]

George is more dancer-like, David does a Gene Kelly athletic movement.

[@eowyn1964]

All the dancers! This video makes it possible for me to watch some of the supporting players and appreciate their work.

[@katewade9992]

Won Oscar

[@billfisher6464]

Chakiris was amply rewarded for his work. :)

[@erpollock]

I think Chakiris was more balletic, he was taller and longer legs. David Alvarez was excellent, but Chakiris was outstanding.

[@stuartenyc]

I've read that the line "I know you do!" replying to Anita was an ad-lib that was so well-received that every production of the show -- including the 2021 movie -- now include it.

[@MsLogjam]

How funny. I can remember drama club meetings in high school where we sometimes sang bits of different show tunes, including this one and including that line.

[@richardgarcia618]

That was actress Yvonne Wilder in the 1961 film.

[@sincerely_sana5]

Wait can you put a time stamp I didn’t hear that part 😂

[@MsLogjam]

@@sincerely_sana5 Right at 00:46

[@zeddy2284]

always noticed it

[@mc-rn8ro]

THIS is one of the many reasons both actresses scored the Oscar; when it’s near-impossible to say who was better (yes we know it’s Rita, but Ariana was ALSO flawless)

[@kcorpora1]

Not impossible! The original cannot be out done. You cannot duplicate the interaction between the women and men on the top roof. The look, the feel, the dance, the choreography, the synergy, cannot be duplicated from the original. You can only try your best to copy it. Let Spielberg movie be what it is but it is not the original. Dancing out in the streets is not comparable.

[@kilimenjiro3753]

AHAH. But the 1961 film ISN'T original. It's an adaptation of a pre-existing work, which the 2021 film is also an adaptation of. It ain't fair to make the comparison, true, the two films are trying to do different things. But it's also not fair to talk up the original as if it's the definitive version. Particularly when its own creators kept making changes to the original original over the years.

[@kcorpora1]

@@kilimenjiro3753 ok take out original. 1961 movie cannot be duplicated to be better. 1961 movie, actors, dance, music, characters, are the apex. Steven did a wonderful job to make a film for the Gen Z and Millennials.

[@celinel.844]

@@kcorpora1 OK, not saying one is better than the other, but if you are talking about the singing, some of the actors didn't do their own singing in the 1961 movie, but were dubbed. In the 2021 movie everyone did their own singing. Also, the new choreography pays a good "hommage" to the 1961's, but is also a lot more complex. With that being said both choreos are beautiful and serve the story well, but the level of difficulty/complexity is quite higher in the more recent one objectively speaking.

[@kcorpora1]

@@celinel.844 well written by you but I will now be brief. It does not matter if 1961 did not do their own singing. No one did not know until it was told. No way the dancing is better than 1961. The characters are not better than 1961. Again do you think the producer could find puerto Ricans who could sing, act, and dance, no. This new one is good for today but not better than 1961. That is not Bernardo or Anita or Tony or Marie or Riff, or Ice, or Action, or etc. They cannot recreate "Cool" or "High school dance" or "America on top of roof" or the grand finally of them all "All singing together for the fight."

[@Kdelossantos2]

At first I was jarred that it was staged so differently, but I loved that the remake has its own spirit. It feels so of New York and so cinematic. While the original feels a little more Hollywood and of the stage. They both give reasons for their existence.

[@stepawayful]

And yet, much of it was filmed in New Jersey!

[@judithhickey6936]

So what!!!!!!.

[@richardklein6806]

I think just the opposite! The 1961 version was filmed in NYC in a Puerto Rican neighborhood that was torn down after the filming of Westside Story. Spielberg's version seems very phony as if it were filmed in Hollywood.

[@judithhickey6936]

First of all . Spielberg work is always genuine. He is a perfectionist. You r entitled to your opinion. As everyone is . I liked both the 1961 Version, and the 2021 version. Both were great in their own way .

[@gracewood9332]

I think we all in comments need to remember is that these movies are 60 years apart meaning acting and dance has changed and people would have been upset if it was a complete shot for shot copy of the original I personally think both are good and like the choice of more grounded acting for the remake

[@paza65]

Thank you for saying so. Besides, this musical is a stage play performed thousands of times on thousands of stages in thousands of ways. Would be boring to copy the original outright. Both have their merit, in their time.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Exactly! It’s better to do its own thing than trying to copy the original, which is what the new West Side Story does.

[@jeffreydershin5763]

@@paza65 I agree. Here's a funny (and true) story... About 20 years ago, I had the gig of musical-directing a high school version of WSS in the Philly suburbs. Our cast was mostly girls, except for the 2 or 3 male leads. (In other words, all the gang members were girls dressed as boys.) Doesn't that sound like it would be lame? Well, let me tell you, these girls totally kicked butt! They just completely re-invented the show, and it was absolutely great. Every production of a broadway show is totally different, and (as you said) should be judged (or just enjoyed) "on its own merits." Thanks for loving my favorite piece of American Musical Theatre!.

[@MrsSedley]

The essence of the Robbins choreography remains - and it's timeless - but the original gives more chance to focus on the especially brilliant work for the men. Panoramic or close focus - personally I prefer the latter, but there are gorgeous colours in the remake.

[@slimeghost103]

That is 100% the truth...times change and so do the things we know

[@louisefarrar6037]

Ariana is great and deserved her Oscar, but Rita is on a whole other level with the Olympians! 🥰❤️

[@DDarkestKnight]

I partially agree but I think Ariana outshines Rita in "A Boy Like That". Not just singing, but from the slap and onward

[@robertoreyeslozada4916]

Rita Morenos' Anita scene at the soda fountain it came front deep inside.

[@MaxHechtman]

Yeah. The part where she breaks down leaning over the bed she and Bernardo used to sleep in added much more emotion to the scene as Rachel sang "I Have a Love."

[@kxgmp2196]

@@DDarkestKnight But Rita did not sing “A Boy Like That”. They used another singer.

[@delrey874]

Ariana did a better job.

[@doctorfmac8469]

Rita Morena is THE BOMB

[@bexyPTX]

Two rightful Oscar winners side by side, we love to see it

[@johnmueter378]

When people claim that WSS is the best musical score of all time, here is one of the reasons. It is an irresistible, exuberant expression of joy. Thank you Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein for this work of genius!

[@patuberTV]

And what song can encompass a whole immigration experience in one tuneful editorial ... AMERICA!

[@robinsierra1029]

Please don’t forget Jerome Robbins. The choreography in the original is astoundingly great

[@roundandroundmyworld]

I'm glad somebody remembered to credit Leonard Bernstein. It's his rapid-fire intercutting 3x2 vs 2x3 rhythms that drive the entire number, forcing the dancers to pull out the max in physical energy to fly along with the music.

[@lenhummel5766]

Yes. Steven, Leonard, and Jerome.---They made it happen with a great great spectacular & talented Cast.(!)

[@richardklein6806]

Yes I agree. Sondheim descended pretty fast in my opinion. Sweeny Todd was unbearably screechy!

[@woohooboy]

The original set the bar (which was high). The energy, the passion, the tempo is all there. It filled to the brim with youthful exuberance and spark. The remake is a loving homage that captures the spirit of the original whilst staying respectful to the source material. It's bright and open and makes use of its location to the fullest advantage. In short, both are terrific. The original created the template. The remake adds a lovely layer on top. Together, the two work in unison to complement each other......

[@1993digifan]

But the '61 film isn't an original work, it is an adaption of the musical that came out in 1957. So no the '61 film is in no way shape or form nor will ever be the source material for any adaption of West Side Story that came after '61 just because you people are too stupid to realize it is a film version of a stage musical.

[@deborahhafer5346]

Exceptionally well said but still love the 1961 version best.💖

[@Soapking1965]

​@@Esotericintense

[@edwardbak4459]

The performance by Rita Moreno was so iconic and definitive. Anyone attempting this role afterward had impossible standards to match.

[@moonhunter9993]

I agree. Hard act to follow

[@ashleywetherall]

Rita is a force of nature.. She tamed Animal the drummer..

[@katiehowell2537]

Ariana nailed it, especially dancing on a broken ankle in heels in weather so hot that she burned through her shoes

[@jonnarobinson7541]

Being a dance teacher I have seen the 1961 version literally over 100 times. It will always be my favorite and Rita Moreno will always be Anita.

[@kevinwilson3609]

Ariana's dress is doing half the dancing for her - what an extraordinary garment. The colours are amazing. Flows beautifully.

[@thewillofabeast9079]

Both Ariana and Rita were stupendous for their role as Anita. The sassiness, the sheer amount of talent, the beauty, the elegance, their dancing, and just their smiles alone really makes the character shine. And if you ask me, Rita Moreno looks as beautiful today as she did back in the 60s. Everyone else featured in both variations were stupendous, as well.

[@bruskinov]

This supercut deserves its own academy award nomination for best editing omg. It got me so hyped. Great way to start someone's day :)

[@margaritakleinman5701]

Started my day very nicely!

[@aihoshiduo]

I loved the little details that were included from each version showing off their unique charm 💙

[@mga2899]

Bernstein, Sondheim and Spielberg...all brilliant. Sometimes though, you can't go back in time.

[@gilraenn29]

I agree, so write your own damn musical. I’m so tired of people rehashing Disney musicals especially the TV people it makes me want to scream.

[@jokinboken]

Yours is the first comment to include mention of Bernstein. Sondheim's words are awesome, but it's Bernstein's music where the energy is.

[@moimeme6533]

+Robbins

[@TheGeekMonster]

If you don't feel happy watching this, you might be dead. The sheer *joie de vivre* of both ensembles is so infectious! They really picked two perfect actresses for Anita in both films.

[@winter_s_44]

Then I guess I am dead. I felt happy watching original, I feel nothing with new version.

[@georgensal]

@@winter_s_44 WOW, really? I hadn't seen any of them before, but the rhythm alone in either one is so exhilarating that I was speechless for some time....

[@lkramberg]

Fortunately Sondheim saw the new version before he passed. He was never a big fan of the 1961 version, but he praised the newer Spielberg version which was closer to the original Broadway play. I always liked the first movie, but I'm with Sondheim on this one.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

The one thing I fault the Spielberg version for is to also cut the Ballet Dream sequence in Act 2. I mean it's a movie. You can do a dream sequence much more convincing than on stage. And instead both films cut that sequence. Spielberg's to be able to give Rita Moreno "Somewhere", Wise's because he moved "Cool" into Act 2.

[@TheWhalesinger]

@@Quotenwagnerianer I so regret this "unkindest cut of all!"

[@petemichael4512]

@@Quotenwagnerianer The interesting thing is that in the new movie after the Tonight sequence, we see Maria the next morning in her room. She says nothing but the music being played is a portion of the Ballet music. She then leaves her room and joins Anita and Bernardo. I've played in the orchestra for performances of WWS and immediately recognized it.

[@janisadams3802]

Sondheim was indeed a fan of the original film which truly launched his career!

[@maddalonefarms]

@@Quotenwagnerianer the original was closer to the stage version

[@chsdc9255]

Love the 1961 more…. Rita Moreno is so beautiful and charming❤️

[@dennisvellum4373]

Old is gold

[@eowyn1964]

The leads are stupendous, but their supporting cast of dancers helps them look that way. What terrific ensemble work.

[@岡田幸子-f8r]

こういうの見たかったんです。感激です!それにしても、前作の色あせてないこと。キレキレのダンス。ダンス技術の高いことに改めて見せられてます。

[@niccoarcadia4179]

The street used in the 2021 version looks perfect for the cause. Gives it a real 1961 feeling about it. I grew up with my bedroom window facing a bodega just like that one.

[@richardklein6806]

But the 1961 version was filmed in an actual Puerto Rican neighborhood which was torn down afterwards to make room for the Lincoln Center. The Spielberg version was probably just a set.

[@janbaer3241]

@@richardklein6806 You mean he didn't time travel back to 1961?

[@judithhickey6936]

I like bothe the 1961 version and 2021 . Bothe r unique in their own way.

[@dennisalexanderreilly8624]

I am one of the lucky few who saw the original Broadway production as a 10 year old. Seared on my brain forever, nothing will ever compare to that production.

[@iwasglad122]

You were witness to something that had never been seen before and has never happened since. The stage version of WSS defies description. I have been envious of many people in my life, but you have just risen to the top of the list! I'm so pleased that the memory of that experience holds such a place in your heart. You are one exceptionally lucky man, Mr Reilly.

[@richardklein6806]

@@iwasglad122 The second Broadway production in the 1980's was not that great. I am sure that the original one was really fantastic!

[@brianweber4616]

They just look like they're having so much more fun in the original version. Bernardo is so serious in this number in the remake; it's like he's really angry. They're all smiling and laughing in the original. And Anita's "You forget I'm in America" is the best part of the song in the original version, like this great joke that has all the rest of the dancers howling; in the remake, she says it so serious. I prefer the humor of the 1961 version.

[@Luanna801]

Bernardo smiles at Anita multiple times in the remake too. You can see it at 2:32, 2:44, 3:34 (this one's a bit cut off because of the switching back and forth; if you watch the full 2021 version you can see he's smiling quite widely), 4:43, etc. At the same time (in both versions), I think he needs to look serious sometimes or it doesn't look like he actually means the points he's making about how terrible life in America can be for immigrants. After all, if he's singing about how it's awful but he looks like he's having the time of his life throughout 100% of the song, why would we take anything he says seriously? It's already a very delicate balance because it's such a playful, lighthearted song and dance, and yet Bernardo's lines bring up some very serious things and I think we *are* meant to take that seriously. So you have to strike this balance where it looks like he means what he's saying and his points have weight, but at the same time he can't help being charmed by Anita and it's a playful argument not an angry one. (For the record, I think both versions do a great job of this!)

Yes but I think the remake was meant to be more tense in order intensify the conflict of the plot.

[@kcorpora1]

@@Luanna801 The original cannot be out done. You cannot duplicate the interaction on the top roof. The look, the feel, the dance, the choreography, the synergy, cannot be duplicated from the original. You can only try your best to copy it. Let Spielberg movie be what it is but it is not the original. Dancing out in the streets is not comparable to the original. The chemistry between Bernardo and Anita in the original is unmatched. They look like they belong together. That is because they do. You can take anyone to duplicate all of Bruce Lee's moves, but it is still not Bruce Lee!

[@lasbagman1]

Both are excellent. It’s a reimagined version with actual Latinos in key roles and a more accurate portrayals.

[@kcorpora1]

@@lasbagman1 real Latinos does not change the performance. there were no Latino stars to create the original, to perform the original, etc. no one on earth even knew that they were not latino. so being latino does not make this version anywhere near the original.

[@corriepitt7630]

Rita Moreno. Every time. Hands down.

[@BradTea]

I have always loved the original. It is such a great performance. The new one is good too but it moves from place to place too much and I feel like I’m watching a music video.

[@lohphat]

Let us not forget the musical score by Leonard Bernstein. The mixed-meter gives an energy you can’t help but want to dance to.

[@lohphat]

From the wiki: The alternating bars of 6/8 (six eighth-notes in two groups of three) with 3/4 (three quarter-notes) (similar to a guajira) is a distinctive characteristic of the song. This rhythm has been called both a hemiola and a habanera but is not really either. The two bar-types alternate and are not superposed, as in a hemiola. The alternation is comparable with the “Habanera” from “Carmen”, but “America” lacks the distinctive characteristic underlying rhythm of the habanera form. Stephen Sondheim claims that Bernstein returned from a holiday in Puerto Rico and told him he had come across a wonderful dance rhythm called Huapango which gave him the idea for the song. Many years later, a friend of Sondheim's found, in a box of Bernstein's papers, an unproduced ballet called Conch Town which contained the tune. Sondheim concludes that Bernstein had invented the story of finding the rhythm on holiday simply so he could reuse an old tune. The composer's tempo instruction is “Tempo di Huapango”.

[@julieviola6787]

Every time I would watch this movie and then when it was over I would grab my West Side Story record album, run down stairs in my basement with my jazz shoes put on the songs 🎵 that I loved dancing to and I would be dancing away!

[@tokenspirit1548]

It is actually Unforgettable.

[@barbarabonnette2705]

I saw this in 1961……the choreography from the original for me, simply the best! Thank you to the cast of the original…..the movie was exciting!

[@lindseyellen3607]

Rita, wow no one can match her moves, style and just perfection ❤❤❤❤❤

[@woutthielemans5073]

The old version is SO MUCH BETTER than the new. It is clear, it is focused, and the settings/camerawork do not distract from the performers which the new version absoutely does. Putting it in the streets is a good idea, but not when it dilates the impact of the number and at times obscures the choreography.

[@marknewton6984]

1961 version is better of course! Great choreography...and Rita!

[@Mike-dk7wj]

Agreed. As much about virtue signalling as anything else. The clarity, refinement and precision of the roof-top night-time original is so much more powerful and exciting than the sprawling excesses of the misconceived street location. Sometimes less is a whole lot more and in the case of America , the 1961 version is triumphantly superior. Moreno and Chakiris are also in a different class of performers - really different class.

[@beverlyjohnson3025]

When I saw the 1961 movie the credits were run without music and you could hear sobbing throughout the theater. It tore your heart.

[@momdebomb]

The 1961 "America" number is one of the finest musical numbers of all time, a work of art on the level of the Mona Lisa, The Angel of the North sculpture or Pentatonix "Hallelujah" video.

[@spudssnowdrops6286]

Lol I think you're the first person I've ever seen appreciate the angel of the north xD

[@XxBlueEyedxX]

When you say that the original is on the level of the Mona Lisa, you agree that the original is only hyped for nostalgic reasons and isn't as good as everyone wants to believe? Don't get me wrong: The original version (and the Mona Lisa) are fantastic pieces of art but I am pretty sure most people only say that it is better than the remake because it is older.

[@pamelacurnow4618]

The original Version was the best, a joy to watch

[@janetmacnaughton494]

love this musical (1961)version George Chakiris and Rita Monero are fantastic

[@bonblue4993]

This is one of the best movie songs ever, and the dancing is beyond amazing. Rita Moreno was a casting director's dream. She was unbelievable.

[@jordanlake9819]

How did you edit the audio so FLAWLESSLY 😍 BRAVO 👏

[@MaxHechtman]

The visuals were edited in Adobe Premiere while the audio was all mixed in Final Cut Pro X.

[@jordanlake9819]

@@MaxHechtman Amazing job, keep up the good work!

[@bobbyrobby3600]

@@MaxHechtman Could you have done the whole thing in Adobe Premiere ? Adobe Premiere. Good cutting

[@eagander]

@@MaxHechtman How do you (and others) get a hold of various movies to use in your videos!??

[@melindadouglas1673]

I LOVED the 2021 version of this movie! So vibrant, colorful and energetic. I cried at the ending even though I knew what was going to happen. A great movie!

[@bingovegas4867]

Saw this wonderful movie in Vegas where I lived when it came out...during Covid. It was a scary time. Drove to a Regal at Boulder Station casino...I was the only one in the theatre, nervous at first but then I relaxed. Loved this movie as much as the first. It didn't do as expected at the box office and Spielberg was disappointed to say the least. Entire cast was outstanding. It had been held for a long time and finally released but people were still not ready to go back to the movies except for me!

[@LouisFernandez-z9f]

I love The chemistry of Rita and George

[@Fitfun5]

Excellent!! I’ve only watched the classic 1961 but after this I may consider watching the 2021 movie! 💃🏽

[@_MSD75_]

Spielberg's looks the part but I just can't take my eye of the original. There is something about the contained nature of the set and the darkness of the set that helps draw the eye onto the cast and the stunning costumes. It feels intimate, like you are right there. Though with all those large crowed scenes and sweeping shots Spielberg's feels much more epic.

[@b1j]

Excellent! Well done. A thrilling scene made more so.

[@jeannemarie3704]

Is 1961 with Rita moreno? Love it!!

[@j4ever938]

2:56 As a kid, I was OBSESSED with this line. Anita ate him up so bad 🤣

[@billmurray7473]

How fitting to watch this on The Fourth of July.

[@suzannebrown9359]

I will never get tired of this video, “America”

[@Icimaintenant9]

God, the original was just pure magic! ✨💫✨

[@mizanmazfullah152]

i like to believe that this was the scene that demanded the Academy to give the Best Costume Design Oscar to the 1961 version... the costume was just sooo amazing, adding to its already incredible design was the dance choreography that puts an emphasis on the costumes

[@TheAthena007]

They’re both brilliant in their own way 🎉❤🎉

[@peterscocca3024]

The remake is beautifully done. The original, using confined spaces, even outside, added a tension to it all, for me. I saw it in 1962 when a large screen was REALLY LARGE. Crying in a theater at 12 years old wasn't too bad. Should have seen me a few years earlier at "Old Yeller".

[@jorgemunoz3545]

RITA MORENO FOREVER!!

[@deborahmorreale9488]

I see and feel the fire in both performances. That's what makes it hot!

[@TheonlyLarsNelson]

I saw the Wise one 20 times and just watched the Spielberg which i absolutly loved. I love the new ideas of counter-melody in " a boy like that", the new ideas in the choregraphies, the shots of New York, the energy of life passing in every scene. And also i teared up. They are all fantastic, great job everyone! Bless you Steven Spielberg for being such a movie lover and genius.

[@carlauberti8637]

Immpossibile non emozionarci... Una icona....musica "mozza fiato.. Ha accompagnato la mia gioventu'...la Adoro...👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤

[@debityger4458]

You made my 74 year old heart sing as I watched this. In 1961 I was 13 years old and loved the movie and gave way watched the original many times. The remake is good but the original is special to me.🎃

[@marknewton6984]

Yes the original can't be beat!

[@iamcarlosalberto]

This was absolutely amazing! You did a fantastic job!

[@MaxHechtman]

Thanks! Had a lot of fun editing it.

[@coreyham3753]

Agreed .. great comparison and very helpful as well. Sorry but I personally much prefer the original 1961 version of the dancing and the singing. But then again 1961 was so exceptional that it even Spielberg cannot top it.

[@janehambly1568]

Love the original movie the cast was magnificent the dancing amazing .

[@alexiatorrez7680]

Glad I found this video 🎞️. I haven’t watch any version of West Side Story. But, after watching this, I think 🤔 the 1️⃣9️⃣6️⃣1️⃣ film is the best.

[@MaxHechtman]

You should still check out the 2021 version. Spielberg did wonders with other scenes like the prologue (wait til you see that opening crane/drone shot), the dance at the gym, the spectacular and god-like lighting during "One Hand, One Heart" and a much grittier and more realistically violent rumble.

[@e1111236]

1961 version is way Way way better than anyting. Bless you Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Rest in Peace Jerome Robbins

[@billfisher9238]

and Robert Wise

[@michaelarchangel1327]

The original was a masterpiece but the remake was very good.

[@800Ms-k6n]

The original was great when it's filmed in a theater way whereas Spielberg's version is very cinematic. Either way both version managed to capture the same energy and heart of the song

[@JordanVanRyn]

This was always my favorite song in “West Side Story” and I love how both versions highlight so many cool parts in their song, whether it’s showing incredible dancing and using visuals around New York to tell a story. Beautifully editing and incredible video!!

[@cb_2887]

Great job! I love both versions! The original is about the music, playfulness and the technicolour of film while the new one is all those but having each verse be a progression in storytelling. Excellent choreography in both versions too!

[@carlauberti8637]

Favoloso......era il 1961...."innamorata persa" ora a 83 anni ""mi emoziona ancora..👍👍👍👍 Musicol. ""Tra i migliori""!!!!!

[@alisacavanaugh8496]

Rita all day long. Nothing compares to her in this role…

[@paddyoski]

If there is such a thing as a perfect musical number, this is it. Thank you for this amazing edit.

[@robertozecchetti3473]

Insuperabile musical che vinse ben 10 Oscar, quando questo premio valera davvero il vero talento. Oggi mi sembra che almemo uno venga regalato gratuitamente a quasi tutti . Che devastazione il passare di questi anni che porta con noncuranza tantissime banalita' . Orripilante !!!

[@calaf1816]

these two ladies are just amazing , and George Chakiris WOW WOW !!!

[@PRR5406]

Both renditions are superb above other films, but I will always love Rita Moreno first amongst equals. Rita, you won't see this, but I love you as an iconic performer.

[@MoorOfDundee]

Great Editing Job!!!! And Thank You Bernstein the amazing Music.Thank You Spielberg and Moreno for the remake.

[@Mike-dk7wj]

Both are excellent but on repeated viewing the 1961 version takes it as it does for the entire film. The choreography of the original is superlative.

[@Thomas_H._Smith]

4:46 Woah now that's a shot.

[@MaxHechtman]

I know right? That was my favorite edit in the whole video. Match cutting George Chakiris twirling Rita Moreno to David Alvarez twirling Ariana DeBose, representing "passing the torch" from one generation to the next.

[@nevillewilliams3568]

Subtle but how wonderful that the warm yellow tones of the 2021 film here are complementary to the cool purple tones of the 1961 film. Both are fantastic. Congratulations everyone.

[@Rick_King]

A spectacular remake of a spectacular movie!

[@robclark4626]

FABULOUS and I refuse to say one is better than the other!

[@AlvaroIbacacheS]

Exactly, the song can be the same, but everything else feels so different from the choreography, the performances, even that color palette: purple and blues for the 60’s version v/s warm and yellow for the 20’s

[@miyoshiumeki]

Even though you know the answer. 😉

[@CechKris]

Thank you for great video. From my point of view, 1961 version is better. And Rita is unique.

[@stepawayful]

4:08 I can't stop watching and rewatching how Ariana (and the other women) literally fly through the air! I just can't stop 🛑!

[@lukeduckett253]

This was perfectly mixed!! Well done, and I loved seeing Rita and Ariana side by side. Bravo!!

[@eowyn1964]

Still watching....January 2024!

[@Citcadid]

Same !

[@viIIaneIIe]

THIS IS AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[@spoookymitsuba]

Can we take a moment to look at that beautiful dance and costume design for both of them

[@judahcatherine]

So many things I love… how much fun the OG dancers are having, the fact that in both versions there’s one girl without a crinoline, the harmonies and partner work of the new one… the colors in both are wonderful. I just love it.

[@budconstantine9545]

J’ai vu ce film en version française en 1961. Splendide. Magnifique . Belle mise en scene,

[@MaryHemmings]

50 years Both amazing!

[@gregoryfrech2310]

Rita Moreno is so beautiful and talented. This performance is just stunning; the new cperformers are also up to the task. Great stuff.

[@joserabasco6709]

Aquí se puede escuchar perfectamente las dos orquestaciones diferentes ensambladas en una sola. La de la pelicula de 1961, con mas percusión y golpes orquedtales en la ultima repetición musical y la de 2021 que sigue la estela de la orquestación del musical! Muy buen trabajo!!!!

[@atroyz]

They’re both great. The original was groundbreaking and pure broadway. Spielberg’s remake is pure CINEMA.

[@BobSullivanAKABuffy]

Watching the remake for the 5th time and this is exactly what I was looking for after watching America in the streets. Thank you Mr Spielberg for giving me something I didn't know I wanted so badly.

[@judithhickey6936]

Because Rita and Arianna did a superb job playing the same character in the same musical. That's why!!!.

[@houseoftone8939]

Have to say hats off to Leonard Bernstein the composer, what an incredible score!!!

[@vanash4]

I appreciate bringing this classic to a new audience, but the original has my heart.

[@michaelcain9324]

Very well edited together. The use of split screen was glorious.

[@cjc363636]

I love both of these versions, so thank you so much for the Supercut!

[@SidFortune]

Fabulous, seamless and organic editing of two wonderful versions of this robust and iconic number.

[@Okkkkkkk-ol5kz]

I fell in love with the 1961 movie at such a young age. My heart will always lie with that film. However, the 2021 movie was excellent and Ariana was a perfect choice for Anita. She blew me away. Rita Moreno’s legacy was honored.

[@gloriachinea5180]

Thank you I Agree 💯

[@marcociampi3462]

THANK YOU Max, for bringing to life this fabulous Supercut!! 👏👏👏👏 💃

[@nicolegordon129]

I haven’t seen the new one but from this clip I still like the old one better.

[@RJ-luci]

Fantastic editing to the MAX!!!

[@Dreydrey_]

I like the dark purple vs bright yellow color schemes