It is sometime after midnight as I write this. My head is still pounding due to the 3D glasses I wore when watching the 2 and a half hour long The Great Gatsby. If someone were to ask me right now: what did you think of the movie? I would be unable to answer in speech. The only way to convey my opinion of this movie is through text, precisely what I am doing here.
The story centers on the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo Dicaprio), a self-made millionaire with a questionable past, and his relentless pursuit for the love of his life Daisy Buchanan (Carrey Mulligan). The movie was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel that was published in 1925. The Great Gatsby was a movie unlike anything I had watched before. As I left the movie theatre, I couldn’t crack it. The plot takes some time to take off and the movie lacks pacing at times. However, the film itself, with all its technical aspects and star-studded cast, is excellent. Dicaprio gives a stunning performance as Gatsby from the minute we first meet him. If there is anyone living today that could evoke the kind of confidence and hope that Gatsby possesses, it’s Dicaprio. As for Carrey Mulligan, the only adjective I can use to describe the effect her performance has on the movie watchers is breathtaking. She is Daisy. The sweet, innocent, self-sheltering girl from the novel comes to life on screen thanks to Mulligan’s acting ability. Yet, there is one character that shares in this spotlight, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). Throughout the entire film, Nick seems to be the only character grounded enough for us to latch on. He guides us through the craziness of the 1920’s and does a fantastic job executing the narrator style.
Further enhancing the film’s allure is the time period, the location, and the ability of director Baz Luhrmann to bring the reality of it all to the screen. For those of you that have studied up your history on the 1920’s, you know what a crazy time period it was. As Nick comments in the film, “the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and we all drank too much.” Luhrmann paints the 1920’s across the screen throughout the entire film. The only thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the choice of modern hip-hop/rock/rap music for the soundtrack. However, I found myself gasping in certain scenes because there is just so much to take in at once. In fact, the first half of the movie feels like one long, crazy 1920’s party.
However, what truly shocked me was the ability for the novel to be placed on screen so fully. I’ve seen quite a few movies that originated from books, and they all seem to leave huge chunks of the plot out. Not this movie. This film is by far the best novel to movie transition I’ve ever seen. The themes that are present in the book (the ones we all studied in English class) are present throughout the crazy journey you take with Gatsby. So if you’re one of those people who think the movie will never be as good as the book, this one might change your mind. And another thing, even if you have read the book, you will leave the theatre with a deeper understanding of the story, perhaps deeper than you wanted. It’s one thing to read about the corruption, carelessness, and downfalls of the characters, but it’s another thing to actually see those things.
I was pleasantly surprised overall. I had seen Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet and I did not enjoy it. But thanks to Dicaprio and Mulligan’s amazing performances and the whirlwind scenes that dot the movie, I give it two thumbs up. My advice, go out and see it as soon as you possibly can.
Rating Warning: Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language.
I give it 7 out of 10.