Remakes have become rampant in the film industry but the worst part is most of them lack any sense of originality. Filmmakers are constantly coming up with movies that rely solely on the nostalgia factor in order to bring the audience to the theatres. More often than not, the remakes aren’t met with positive feedback which just goes on to say that it is about time Hollywood should move on to bigger and better things.
However, before it does so, the film industry might need to take a step back and look into two of the best remakes Hollywood has had to offer in the past years – War of the Worlds and West Side Story. Directed by none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, both films are perfect examples of how a remake should be done.
How Steven Spielberg Mastered the Art of Remakes
The film industry has often seen studios turning to familiar stories in order to find the next film that will reel in big bucks. While it works out in their favor sometimes, no one can deny that making a remake is not everyone’s cup of tea. Sure, you can just go ahead with a proven formula to make it big at the box office. However, most of the time, this leads to films that will be forgotten in mere moments.
Fortunately, Hollywood has Steven Spielberg to teach them just how to create the perfect remake without sacrificing originality and also incorporating the essence of the original. One great example is his 2021 film, West Side Story. Spielberg took the 1961 original and the 1957 Broadway musical and produced something that has been cited as one of the best musical films of all time.
The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes puts it perfectly:
“Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story presents a new look at the classic musical that lives up to its beloved forebear – and in some respects might even surpass it.”
In the 2021 film starring Ansel Elgort, Spielberg honors the legacy of the classics all while turning it into a unique masterpiece. One of the best elements of the remake is its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The 1961 film, while loved, was criticized for its portrayal of Puerto Ricans thanks to its ridiculous brown faces and exaggerated accents.
Spielberg’s West Side Story, on the other hand, did a great job of casting Latino actors in key roles including Rachel Zegler, and thus paying homage to the source material’s heritage.
Today, the film is known as one of Spielberg’s finest works and the fact that the film was able to receive such a positive response despite being a remake just goes on to prove that remakes are fine, as long as you know how to bring them to life.
Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is Another Great Example
In 2005, the science fiction thriller War of the Worlds rocked Hollywood and was praised for capturing the source material to utmost perfection. The film is second in line to have brought H.G. Wells’ namesake novel to the screens after filmmaker Byron Haskin did it first in 1953.
Both the 1953 and 2005 films were met with critical acclaim but what is it that sets Spielberg’s iteration apart from its predecessor? Well, while the filmmaker stayed true to the main plot of the story, he also added modern themes and state-of-the-art visual effects. By doing so, he managed to enhance the original and make it more appealing to the modern audience.
Using CGI to its best ability, Spielberg allowed his remake to have more dynamic action sequences and stunning visuals. The use of cutting-edge technology caused Tom Cruise’s film to shine brighter than the original. Once again, it has been proven that Hollywood needs to take a page or two out of Spielberg’s notebook if it wants to continue creating remakes.
Doing what he did with War of the Worlds and West Side Story, Spielberg has given Hollywood an effective formula for making the perfect remake. Instead of using nostalgia as a tool, studios should focus on finding the hidden gems from the film industry’s past and turning them into stellar masterpieces. One could say that this formula was implemented by films like Dune, A Star is Born, and Casino Royale, and look how they turned out!
You can stream West Side Story on Disney+ and War of the Worlds on Paramount+.
