Director Steven Spielberg’s retelling of “West Side Story” takes the classic 1957 Broadway musical to a whole new level of emotion, performance and production. It’s spectacular, superb and a must-see, especially on a big screen in a movie theater.

The screenplay by Tony Kushner examines themes not immediately apparent, possibly overlooked or glossed over in the 1961 Hollywood movie version.

It’s as if a classic or collectible car was restored, taken down to the frame and reassembled with new paint, interior and updated electronics and stereo while retaining the original appearance, beauty and aesthetics. (Speaking of cars, there’s a bevy of circa 1957 rides in the “West Side Story” remake that should please car buffs.)

It’s the details in the Spielberg movie that make the new version of “West Side Story” so delightful, powerful and meaningful. Spielberg is a master storyteller. “West Side Story” is a masterful story.

Spielberg and Kushner not only remake the 1957 Broadway musical (six Tony Award nominations) and 1961 movie musical (11 Academy Award nominations), they dust off the primary source material, William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” (1597), about the star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the warring families: House of Capulet and House of Montague, circa 13th-14th century Verona and Mantua, Italy.

The 1957 musical was conceived by Jerome Robbins, the show’s choreographer, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents. The musical, as with a classic car, motorboat or yacht, and well-designed and constructed house, has good bones. Spielberg and Kushner meticulously restore the best parts and navigate the Scylla and Charybdis of contemporary culture wars as best they can. They mostly succeed.

In Spielberg’s and Kushner’s amplification of the 1957 musical and 1961 movie, the turf is San Juan Hill, cleared by “master builder” Robert Moses for Lincoln Center, the 16.3-acre performing arts complex on New York City’s Upper West Side.

The movie opens powerfully and symbolically with wrecking balls knocking down walls. An estimated 17,000 were displaced in the predominantly African-American, Africo-Caribbean and Puerto Rican neighborhood. Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk and stride pianist James P Johnson lived in San Juan Hill.

In Robert Caro’s Pulitzer-winning biography “The Power Broker” (1974), Moses is accused of using “urban removal,” aka urban renewal, on black and Latino neighborhoods.

“West Side Story” opens exuberantly with a kaleidoscope of choreography, cinematography and editing in one of the most astounding opening sequences ever put on film. It’s no mere backdrop, giving a whole new raison d’etre to the warring Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang, and the Jets, the Italian and Eastern European gang. They are rebels with a cause.

This is no shiny Spiebergian suburban utopia, admittedly, with undertones of conflict, of some of his previous films (notably, “E.T.,” 1982). The world in “West Side Story” is a ghetto. The details, not only to clothes hanging from wash lines on fire escapes, but to the gritty interior of Doc’s Drugstore, now run by Doc’s widow, Valentina (Rita Moreno, Oscar winner, supporting actress, Anita, “West Side Story,” 1961) and the worn-through linoleum on the floor of the apartment of Maria (Rachel Zegler) and her sister Anita (Ariana DeBose).

OK, that’s granular. Big picture: “West Side Story” has some terrific performances, tremendous song and dance numbers and a profound conclusion that is Shakespearian in its tragedy.

The terrific numbers include: “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” “Tonight,” “America” and “Gee, Officer Krupke.”

The cinematography by Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski (Oscar, Cinematography, “Saving Private Ryan,” 1998; “Schindler’s List,” 1993) recreates the splashy colors of films from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

The production design (Adam Stockhausen, Oscar, production design, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” 2014), art direction, costume design and set decoration is phenomenal.

Spielberg (Oscar recipient: director, “Saving Private Ryan,” 1998; picture, “Schindler’s List,” 1994; Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, 1987; 14 Oscar nominations; 57 director credits on the Internet Movie Database) directs with consummate skill.

Kushner (Oscar nominee, adapted screenplay, “Lincoln,” 2013; adapted screenplay, “Munich,” 2008; Pulitzer Prize, drama, “Angels in America,” 1993) has made interesting and important changes in updating characters and storyline. Little is spared in the fight scenes.

Ansel Elgort (“Baby Driver,” 2017; “The Fault In Our Stars,” 2014) plays Tony as a responsible young man trying to go straight after a jail stint for assault and battery. Elgort moves well and sings lovely. He has the quiet screen presence of a young Marlon Brando.

Rachel Zegler (theatrical motion picture debut) is charming and engaging as Maria. She has a beautiful voice. The casting of Zegler and Elgort is perfect.

Ariana DeBose (TV’s “Schmigadoon!,” 2021) is strong and impressive as Anita.

David Alvarez (TV’s “American Rust,” 2021) is dynamic as Bernardo.

Memorable in the huge cast: Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke), Corey Stoll (Lt. Schrank), Mike Faist (Riff), Josh Andres Rivera (Chino) and Iris Menas (Anybodys).

Rita Moreno will be nominated for another supporting actress Oscar for her role as Valentina. She may just win a second Oscar. Moreno brings a wealth of humanity to the role. She’s given one of the show’s signature songs, ”Somewhere,” and imbues the lyrics, “We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving,” with whole new meaning. It becomes an “Imagine” for racial harmony.

“West Side Story” is an iconic musical and movie. In Spielberg’s and Kushner’s interpretation, it is even more so. Look for multiple Oscar nominations.

“West Side Story,”

MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.) for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking; Genre, Musical, Drama, Romance; Run time: 2 hr., 36 min. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

Singer and songwriter Rachel Zegler, a Colombian-American, of Hackensack, N.J., was one of 30,000 to audition for the role of Maria in “West Side Story.” She first played the role in a Performing Arts School production at Bergen Performing Arts Center, N.J. Filming took place in Harlem, Brooklyn; Steiner Studios, Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York City; Newark, Essex County, and Paterson, N.J., where an outdoor set was built.

At The Movies:

“West Side Story” was seen in the Dolby Theatre at AMC, AMC Center Valley 16, Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, Upper Saucon Township.

Box Office: Dec. 17-19 weekend box office results were unavailable because of the early Focus section print deadline for the Christmas Day holiday.

More movie reviews: Paul Willistein reviews “Encanto,” “King Richard,” “Spencer,” “Belfast,” “‘Eternals,” ”The French Dispatch,” “Dune” and other recent movie releases on the Lehigh Valley Press website on the Focus page. There is also box office information and theatrical movie releases opening dates: www.lvpnews.com

Unreel,

Dec. 24:

“The Matrix Resurrections,”

R: Lana Wachowski directs Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jessica Henwick in the Science-Fiction Action film. One world. Two realities. No, it’s not fake news. It’s The Matrix.

“The King’s Man,”

R: Matthew Vaughn directs Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans and Harris Dickinson in the Action Comedy. The Kingsman agency battles a cabal plotting a war.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,”

R: Joel Coen directs Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell and Bertie Carvel in the Drama. The Scottish play gets a re-do.

“Sing 2,”

PG: Garth Jennings directs the voice talents of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson and Tori Kelly and the Animation in the Musical Comedy.

“A Journal for Jordan,”

PG-13: Denzel Washington directs Michael B. Jordan, Tamara Tunie, Chanté Adams and Robert Wisdom in the Drama. A sergeant writes a journal for his son.

“American Underdog,”

PG: Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin direct Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Dennis Quaid and Adam Baldwin in the Biography Drama. It’s the story of NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner.

Movie opening dates information from Internet Movie Database as of Dec. 17 is subject to change.

This column is dedicated to Stephen Joshua Sondheim (March 22, 1930 - Nov. 26, 2021). In American musical theater, there are two eras: Before Sondheim and After Sondheim.