Harlem Bespoke: We got to see the IMAX screening of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story last night and finally connected the scene that filmed in Harlem at St. Nicholas Avenue by 143rd Street back in the summer of 2019. Everything was set up for the famous America song sequence which featured the Puerto Rican gym that Bernardo trained at and the development lot were buildings in the neighborhood were previously torn down. It is one of the many spectacular moments in the film which
many critics say is actually better than the acclaimed original movie from the 1960s.
Our personal preference is for this more realistic but breathtaking modern update of the era which included additional dialogue and really drives home the displacement of communities in the old San Juan Hill neighborhood which is now Lincoln Center. It is all a dirty secret washed away by the city that had a massive land-grab rush to clear out aging historic neighborhoods in the mid century to make way for new gleaming towers. The era in film also washed out roles of ethnic characters and had the likes of Natalie Wood in brown face for the main role as Maria. Thankfully this version has authentic Latin leads that bring more to the story than caricature performances of immigrants in the city. West Side Story should also be seen on the biggest screen possible since the visuals and sound can can not be replicated at home in a more diminished format:
LINK
HarlemBespoke.com 2021
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