Who shot Romeo and Juliet? Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021)

In the first supplemental episode of Season 3, we return to where
we began: West Side Story (2021) directed by Stephen Spielberg,
starring Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, Ariana DeBose, and Rita
Moreno. We discuss the evolution of mainstream social awareness
over the past 60 years and how this impacts the production and
meaning of the film (a phenomenon Charisse refers to as
“historical HD”), including the role of gentrification in racial
and class-based strife, the attempt to rectify the racial
offenses of the first film, and how Rita Moreno’s return provides
a nuanced take on the Romeo and Juliet story itself.