If there ever was a director that could be considered "polarizing", it is Baz Luhrmann. You either find his films (which include the, in my opinion, modern-day classic "Moulin Rouge" and the very inspired yet often maligned "Romeo + Juliet") interesting and visually-stimulating or you think they are over-the-top manic drug-induced dreams. His latest film, "The Great Gatsby", based on the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, will do nothing to dispel those who already dislike his work. In fact, it will no doubt bring a new crew of Luhrmann-haters as he has once again taken a much-loved piece of literature and gave it a contemporary and altogether surprising twist. I can openly say that I like Luhrmann's films and his vision is one of the most interesting of a director working today. "The Great Gatsby" may be his best story yet and although his vision the original Fitzgerald story do not always connection well, it is still a jaw-droppingly beautiful film.
Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is a 1920s bonds salesman whose newfound wealth moves him into an impressive house on Long Island. His small-town beginnings don't prepare him for what money and his new location bring to his life. Next-door to Carraway, is the house of a mysterious figure named Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who holds human parties that pull in all of New York City. Nobody has seen Gatsby but his reputation is more than enough for people to create elaborate stories about who he is and who he is not. After receiving an invitation (a rarity for Gatsby), Carraway runs into Gatsby. Gatsby pulls Carraway into a life of money, romance, alcoholism, and corruption all in hopes of rekindling a relationship with Carraway's cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). Daisy's powerful and angry husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) is the only thing keeping Gatsby from achieving the only thing his money can't buy.
"The Great Gatsby" is easily Baz Luhrmann's most reserved film maybe ever. This, of course, isn't saying much. The extravagant party sequences show the Luhrmann we've come to love (or hate). They are loud, colorful events blaring music that is not time-period appropriate in the slightest. Sometimes the music works incredibly well (both incarnations of Lana Del Ray's "Young and Beautiful" fit perfectly) and sometimes they are like nails on a chalkboard (a scene featuring Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)). Luhrmann utilizes 3D well in these scenes of excess allowing heaps of confetti to seemingly spill into the audience. It is his 3D utilization and filming of the more sullen and reserved moments in "Gatsby" that work especially well. Iconic scenes such as Gatsby staring at the often-discussed "green light" across the water are among the most beautiful moments presented in 3D cinema. The diminished brightness of the picture that 3D often causes has very little impact on the distance and depth the dimension adds. Luhrmann actually holds himself quite a bit in comparison to his previous works. The 3D is never so over-the-top that it takes you out of the film. The only scenes that feel completely connected with his often "campy" style are the party scenes which almost seem to be written just for Luhrmann to present. While it is not totally necessary to be seen in 3D (in fact, the brightness 2D offers might be preferable in several scenes) it is easily the most impressive 3D presentation since "Hugo".
DiCaprio is his typical great self as Gatsby. He plays the calm and kind-eyed man with every nuance that could be expected. He again proves that he possibly the best American actor currently working. While this won't be the time he walks away with an Oscar, he is perfectly cast and it is impossible to picture another actor in his position. It is nice to see Maguire make a return to wide-release cinema. After reading about how Maguire and DiCaprio grew up acting together, it makes the connection to Carraway and Gatsby that much deeper.
Taking such a well-loved work of literature like "Great Gatsby" and turning into into a big-budget 3D film filmed by the maker of "Moulin Rouge" and featuring a soundtrack produced by Jay-Z is something akin to a joke. On paper (no pun intended), Fitzgerald's story does not read even close to the presentation offered here. Surprisingly enough, Luhrmann's style fits perfectly. If you take the story and its themes of how money and parties can't bring you everything and inject it with the manic and gorgeous energy Luhrmann often presents, it is a natural fit. Many purists will no doubt be disappointed in this film. This is definitely not the story you pictured while reading this novel in high school. That said, there is no reason the film version should have to please the fans of the book. The book will remain and they can either choose to watch Robert Redford's 1974 version or simply to re-read Fitzgerald's text. The heart of Fitzgerald's story is still seen in Luhrmann's story. It gave me a whole new reading on a novel I all but ignored during my first reading in 9th grade. I can only hope I enjoy a re-reading of the novel as much as I enjoyed this presentation.
The film is not without its negatives though. The scenes featuring Myrtle (Isla Fisher) and George Wilson (Jason Clarke), working-class friends of Tom Buchanan's are extremely out-of-place. While it could be said that the slightly irritating characterizations of Myrtle and George are part of who these characters are truly meant to be, they are both miscast in their roles. Clarke, who was easily one of the highlights in last year's "Zero Dark Thirty" plays George almost as a theater performance and it doesn't fit. It could also be said that Edgerton's performance of Tom Buchanan might not be up to the character he needs to play. He may act cold and yell as a man in a loveless marriage protected by money but after we see similar performances by Jon Hamm in "Mad Men" that eclipse this weekly.
Luhrmann's campy flourishes don't always work. Almost every Jay-Z song in this film completely pulls you out of the moment. They feel like temporary audio tracks that were put on the film until they could fit a better song that fit the scene. While I'm definitely not against the usage of hip-hop in period films (Quentin Tarantino's usage of Rick Ross and Tupac songs in last year's "Django Unchained" worked perfectly), here they feel awkward. Dubstep, techno, and even Jay-Z collaboration with Kanye West "Who Gon Stop Me" fit with the gluttonous nature of the 1920s rich. Jay-Z songs like "100$ Bill" and "Hova (I.Z.Z.O.)" do not and pull you totally out of the moment.
"Great Gatsby" is still something we don't see often during the summer. An intriguing, beautiful, and well-made film that must be seen on a big-screen to be truly enjoyed (in 3D or 2D). While it will more than likely not be the movie you pictured when you bought that ear-marked copy complete with the writing of someone you never knew (as the copy I purchased at John Kings Books in Detroit), it is still an amazing story with themes that still echo today. Much like Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet", this is a retelling of an amazing story that we can only hope makes a connection with today's generation.
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