The Great Gatsby, 2013.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke.
SYNOPSIS:
A young writers life is forever changed when he meets the mysterious and elusive Jay Gatsby.
When Baz Luhrmann was handed the reigns to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic piece of literature, many wondered if he could handle it with the substance and nuance that is required. The results are mixed as The Great Gatsby is a cross between peaks of brilliance and troughs of shallow, fancy visuals.
The film opens with Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) beginning to recount the events of his Summer in 1920’s New York, as he leaves his creative writing endeavours and the American Midwest behind in favour of seeking fortune in the booming stock market which occurred after the first World War. Moving in to a small house on West Egg, Long Island, he instantly becomes aware of the mysterious, Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), who lives in the mansion next door. The West Egg is filled with ‘new money’, those whose wealth has come in the new era, and are unfamiliar with it. Across the bay in East Egg, lives Nick’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), ‘old money’, the aristocracy who look down on those across the way.
Nick is personally invited to one of Gatsby’s legendary parties, and upon meeting him, both of their lives are changed forever; for you see, Jay Gatsby is in love with Daisy, from many years ago. This is all revealed in the first act and this is undoubtedly the weakest and most Luhrmann part of the movie. Gatsby’s parties are lavish and extravagent; all pomp and no substance, much like Luhrmann’s directing. In the novel the aura and mystique around Gatsby is built up sufficiently, he’s a mighty intriguing character; is he a German spy or German royalty? A killer or a war hero? No one quite knows, and yet there are many stories. Luhrmann rushes this to get to Gatsby’s reveal and to the love story which dominates the films proceedings.
Once we are introduced to Gatsby and Nick learns of the reason for his invitation, Luhrmann begins to calm down and lets the drama and characters unfold before us, and it is here that the film becomes thoroughly engaging. This is undoubtedly due to Leonardo DiCaprio, who is owed a great debt to drawing you in to the character, when Luhrmann has attempted to pull you away by rushing through important development with a visual assault of bright lights and champagne. Had it not been for DiCaprio, an exchange that takes place between him and Carraway at the end of the film would not ring true, we wouldn’t believe that Gatsby is so great.
Joel Edgerton is another stand out in the film as Daisy’s husband, Tom Buchanan, a man who sees his women as his possessions and represents the ignorance and inconsiderate ‘old money’, who care very little for those around them. Tom is in stark contrast to Gatsby, who while morally questionable is pure of heart, yet quite naive. Gatsby does the things he does for love, whilst Tom does what he does for sport – for a good time, because he can. Gatsby takes responsibility, Tom doesn’t, and it is this that we pity Gatsby for his love of Daisy, a lady who is undeserving of such affection, and who ultimately brings bad luck to the door of the man who made his own.
Whilst Luhrmann’s direction at times reaches grand, empty proportions, perhaps that’s the point: as Luhrmann shows us a flashy and shallow world, DiCaprio grounds it, reminding you that whilst there are those who seek fame and fortune without meaning, there are also those who seek purely to be loved and to love. It’s a stroke of brilliance if so, or just plain dumb luck if not. Either way, The Great Gatsby was just that.
Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Martin Deer
Originally published May 18, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
