Hailed as a Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece telling the story of Nick Carraway and his encounter with the mysterious Jay Gatsby during the roaring 1920’s. Today marks the release of its latest theatrical adaption directed by Baz Luhrmann. It also been given the honor to open this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Many are wondering if all the promotion, glitz and glamor, and anticipation surrounding the project is setting it up to be a big disappointment with audiences–but after seeing the visual spectacle, here are 5 reasons why you MUST see The Great Gatsby.
1. It’s a pretty great adaptation
Now, if you’ve taken any American literature class, chances are you have read this book. It’s still regarded as one of the greatest pieces of American literature to date, so naturally there have been a few adaptations of it. All which have seemingly failed before this one. Lurhmann’s Gatsby balances taking Fitzgerald’s text literally and inserting intriguing interpretation. Jay Gatsby’s story is a somber and conflicting one and this movie manages to bring out Gatsby in a glitzy world of grandeur, still showcasing his need of self-acceptance, his longing for perfection and respect. It’s hard not to understand this is a literature adaptation as the words are literally splattered across the screen, but for book-to film adaptions go…this one is pretty top notch.
2.The soundtrack will blow you away
Keep an open mind with this one. Yes, the story is a tragic tale of the summer of 1922 and the soundtrack is filled with modern music, but the match up is perfect. Executively produced by Jay-Z, the soundtrack of the movie is a great mix of hip hop, alternative, and pop music. Beyoncé covering Amy Winehouse, Emeli Sande covering Beyoncé and interesting mash ups of 20’s inspired sounds and 808 synths. The modern visual influences of the film are appropriately highlighted by the soundtrack that features Florence +The Machine, The xx, Jack White, and Lana Del Rey’s hauntingly beautiful “Young and Beautiful”. It’s one of the best aspects of the film.
3. Visually, this is where it’s at
Captivating and stunning, this film is cinematic eye candy. Luhrmann is no stranger to making films with breathtaking cinematography (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet). His take of Gatsby is no exception. The 1920’s is depicted as a glamorous era and Jay Gatsby’s parties are a spectacle leaving anyone jealous they could not partake. The movie is all about sweeping visuals, flowing camera shots, exciting use of color and atmosphere.
4. The actors shine
With all the amazing visuals and unapologetic soundtrack, it’s easy for an actor’s performance to be lost in this film, but the casting in this movie is spot on. From his mysterious build up to his whimsical and grand debut, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Gatsby is astounding. His ability to make the audience want to know more about a character is so fitting with the mysterious Gatsby. Carey Mulligan rarely disappoints on film, while Tobey Maguire brings Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway to film nearly exactly how he is portrayed in the novel.
5. The critics agree, you should see it
Okay, this one not so much. Movie critics are a little mixed with the film. They praise the visuals and soundtrack, but feel that Baz Luhrmann falls into his usual trap of relying heavily on visuals and repeatedly creating (and maybe sometimes forcing) symbolism. Many reviews feel this is perhaps the best adaptation of the once deemed unadaptable novel. In most reviews, they praise the world created in the film and the backdrop for Gatsby, Daisy and Nick are allowed to flourish in.
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Now, no movie is perfect (some are only near perfection). Adaptations of books are usually never in the realm of perfection, how could they be? The mind is allowed to do so much with words on a page and while it’s great to see our favorite novels come to life, film restricts what our imagination once thought a story to be. The Great Gatsby is a complex, intriguing, artistic and contemplative novel. It tackled many issues including social politics, excess of the rich, and the downside of the American dream. The movie is much like the novel. It’s intriguing, artistic, and has an undeniable flair. Although it does not exclusively tackle the themes of the novel as seriously as it could have, it offers a wonderful depiction of one of America’s greatest classics.
Will you be seeing The Great Gatsby?
-Cj
