麻豆淫院

Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz, cinema studies chair鈥攁nd man who鈥檚 鈥榤orally opposed鈥� to remakes鈥攇ives thumbs-up to Spielberg鈥檚 version

Ernesto Acevedo-Mu帽oz, professor and chair of cinema studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, had never been a fan of movie remakes.

鈥淚鈥檓 generally morally opposed to the concept of the remake, because it鈥檚 based on what I believe to be a flawed premise that contemporary younger audiences are not interested in (film) classics,鈥� says Acevedo-Mu帽oz, author of .

鈥淚 don鈥檛 agree. My experience in the classroom every day is the opposite of that.鈥� He notes the marketing tagline for the 1968 re-release of the original movie: 鈥淯nlike other classics, West Side Story gets younger.鈥�

And, as he put it in 2020, 鈥淲ho asked to see a remake of听Dirty Dancing? Who asked to see a remake of听Fame? Who asked to see a remake of听West Side Story? Nobody.鈥�

Even so, Acevedo-Mu帽oz agreed in 2019 to serve on the Community Advisory Board for 鈥檚 recently released (and now Oscar-nominated)听 of the 1961 cinematic of West Side Story, which he credits for inspiring him to go into film study.

鈥淭he Community Advisory Board brought artists, intellectuals, teachers and historians, many from Puerto Rico and the Latino community, and other groups misrepresented in 1961 movie and the (original) show to offer feedback and advice,鈥� he says.

After several months of Community Advisory Board meetings and consultations, Acevedo-Mu帽oz declared himself 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� about the remake. Still, he was leery, warning that 鈥渢he recent box-office track record of musical and other remakes suggests it could be a risky enterprise.鈥�

He attended a private screening in August, under obligation to keep his counsel until the film鈥檚 premiere on Dec. 7. But now, after two and half years of consulting on the project, his time on the red carpet has arrived. His opinion?

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy,鈥� he says. Specifically, he gives a thumbs-up for:

• 鈥淭he movie is gorgeous to look at 鈥� It鈥檚 one of the most beautiful movies I鈥檝e seen this year.鈥�
• 鈥淚鈥檓 extremely satisfied with the cast, particularly (Maria), (Bernardo) and (础苍颈迟补).鈥�
• 鈥淭hey went a long way into making these characters stand out as real people, as opposed to the caricatures they鈥檝e been to some extent in the past.鈥�

• Whereas the voices in the 鈥�61 version had 鈥渕ostly been dubbed by ghost singers, these are the voices of the real actors, and they sound magnificent, with accurate inflections of things like accent.鈥�
• 鈥淭hey asked earnestly for advice and feedback (from the Community Advisory Board). 鈥� They made an earnest effort to see what the new movie could do better and to correct some of the perceived and real injustices committed in the first movie and the original show.鈥�

(Still, he recognizes that the plot is a bit silly, implausible, perhaps even histrionic: 鈥淭ony and Maria know each other for all of 24 hours!鈥� he notes. Meanwhile, , the teens whose tragic, impulsive romance inspired West Side Story, had a whole five days to cement the undying love that led to their deaths and those of many others in their respective clans. And he likes to open lectures about another implausibility with a classic joke: 鈥淭ony runs through the Puerto Rican neighborhood yelling 鈥楳aria!鈥� and only听one听girl comes to the window.鈥� Ba-dum-tsss.)

Acevedo-Mu帽oz is especially impressed that the producers incorporated so many of the Community Advisory Board鈥檚 recommendations and suggestions into the final cut, including advice about 鈥渢he musical landscape of 1950s New York City鈥� and the look of the barrio, right down to the graffiti. Especially important, he says, was the producers鈥� decision not to use English subtitles for spoken Spanish, as recommended by most of the Community Advisory Board鈥檚 members.

鈥淭o use subtitles would in a way be 鈥榦thering鈥� (Spanish-speaking characters) who are really central鈥� to the film, he says.

He鈥檚 also pleased that the new version works hard to portray the Puerto Rico-born immigrants who make up the Sharks gang as 鈥渇ully rounded characters with histories and personalities, not flat and unidimensional鈥濃�攁nd, some critics argue, stereotypically violent鈥攁s they were portrayed in the 1961 version.

The movie examines the anti-Puerto Rican prejudice of police more fully and give more weight to Anybodys (a rough analog of Romeo鈥檚 servant and informant Baltasar Romeo and Juliet played by ), portraying him as a complex transgender man, as opposed to caricature of a 鈥渢omboy鈥� in the original.

Though Acevedo-Mu帽oz remains morally opposed to remakes, he says that West Side Story is a rare exception to the rule.

Through his contribution to the film, he got to meet members of the cast, including Zegler, DeBose and Alvarez. And was honored to be invited to the premier at the famous 鈥攐ne of the elaborate, ornate 鈥渕ovie palaces鈥� from Hollywood鈥檚 early days鈥攚here he hung out with , Spielberg鈥檚 long-time producer.

鈥淕oing to a Hollywood premier wasn鈥檛 on my bucket list, but when the bucket comes, that鈥檚 it. I wasn鈥檛 going to miss the opportunity,鈥� he says. 鈥淏eing on the red carpet, beneath that marquee, was fun.鈥�