The Great Gatsby (2013)

A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

Director:

Baz Luhrmann

Writers:

Baz Luhrmann (screenplay), Craig Pearce (screenplay),

Stars:

Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amitabh Bachchan	...	Meyer Wolfsheim
Steve Bisley	...	Dan Cody
Richard Carter	...	Herzog
Jason Clarke	...	George Wilson
Adelaide Clemens	...	Catherine
Vince Colosimo	...	Michaelis
Max Cullen	...	Owl Eyes
Mal Day	...	The Boss-Probity Trust
Elizabeth Debicki	...	Jordan Baker
Lisa Adam	...	Weeping / Singing Woman
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Jay Gatsby
Joel Edgerton	...	Tom Buchanan
Emmanuel Ekwenski	...	Jazz Player
Eden Falk	...	Mr. McKee
Isla Fisher	...	Myrtle Wilson

Storyline

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

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Plot Keywords:

tragedy | auto accident | 1920s | mansion | bond broker | 

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Taglines:

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy-they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official Facebook [br]

Country:

Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Den store Gatsby

Filming Locations:

Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$105,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$50,085,184 (USA) (10 May 2013)

Gross:

$59,405,436 (USA) (14 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, A&E Television Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Production was delayed when the director was hit in the head by a moving camera crane, having to then receive three stitches.

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Goofs

When Daisy is introduced to Gatsby in Nick's cottage, Gatsby sneaks out the back door and emerges through the front completely soaked due to the rain. However, in the next shot, which dialogue indicates takes place with little to no time passing, Gatsby is completely dry.

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Quotes

Daisy Buchanan: Gatsby? What Gatsby?

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Crazy Credits

Jay Gatsby's flower symbol is shown throughout the credits with different letters in place of the 'JG'. The 3rd to last flower, preceding the music section, has 'JZ' in it. The last flower has the movie's traditional 'JG' in it.

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Connections

Referenced in Mad: Betty White and the Huntsman/Ancient Greek Mythbusters (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Empire State Of Mind (Pt II) Broken Down"
Written by Shawn JAY Z Carter, Alexander Shuckburgh, Sylvia Robinson, Bert Keyes, Alicia Augello-Cook, Angela Hunte and Jane't Sewell
Published by © 2009 WB Music Corp., Carter Boys Music, Gambi Music Inc., Global Talent Publishing. Lellow Productions / J Sewell Publishing / Masani Elshabazz Music.
By kind permission of Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Ltd, EMI Music Publishing Australia Pty Limited. and Fable Music Pty Ltd
Performed by Alicia Keys
Licensed courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd

User Reviews

'Gatsby' proves not as great as classic novel

There comes a time in a director's career when he or she may face one of the seemingly impossible cinematic feats: to make the movie better than the book.

Director Baz Luhrmann accepted this challenge when he signed on to direct a new theatrical take of "The Great Gatsby." F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel is considered an American literary classic, a staple in high school English courses. To tamper with greatness could spell disaster for the film and disappoint fans. With this in mind, Luhrmann took the details that made the novel so successful and generously applied them to his film.

The result? Beautiful visuals, awkward editing and overblown symbolism.

The adaptation is narrated by Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), who recounts his adventures on Long Island to a doctor while at a sanatorium. Using word-for-word passages from the novel, Carraway describes his move to New York to try his hand in the bond business. There, he reconnects with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and learns his next-door neighbor is none other than Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), the secretive millionaire known for his lavish parties and fantastical reputation. Little does Carraway know that Gatsby acts this way in hopes of winning back Daisy's love despite five years of separation and her marriage to another man.

Hoping to live up to its hype, the movie tries to be as fantastic and flawless as Gatsby himself. Servants open doors and move about the house like choreographed dancers. The grand landscapes of New York City and Gatsby's estate look pristine. And the parties are a flapper's dream, with the vibrant outfits and music for dancing (although the occasional rap songs seemed a bit out of place).

Unfortunately, the flawlessness stops with the visuals. Reminiscent of "Moulin Rouge," Luhrmann's excessive cuts put cinematic emphasis in all the wrong places. The opening scenes fly by with exaggerated zooming and cutaways that disturb the flow of the script. Yet during the climactic standoff between Gatsby and Daisy's husband, the camera comes to a virtual standstill. Without the dialogue, it would appear no different from any other scene.

The film was also keen to draw on, and overemphasize, some of the novel's best traits. Carraway speaks Fitzgerald's words like poetry, which fans of the book will appreciate. Yet seeing them additionally written on the screen is distracting and unnecessary, no matter how artistic the font is. Likewise, the symbolisms that added such value to the novel do not translate as well on screen. We can only see the green light so many times before its significance starts to fade.

Luckily, the lead performances keep the plot comprehensible even when the camera is having a spaz attack. Few (if any) actors would be better suited as the suave, slightly obsessed Gatsby than DiCaprio. He and Maguire enliven the unlikely relationship between Gatsby and Carraway with their occasional comic relief and intimate conversations. Mulligan also gives a strong portrayal of Daisy and her struggle to choose between Gatsby and her husband.

There is potential for the film to be marginally close to par with the novel. Unfortunately, it gets lost in the pomp of Luhrmann's chaotic editing, which proves what literary purists have been saying all along: Only the book can put the "great" in "The Great Gatsby."

Stars: *** ½ (out of 5)

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