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Capturing an era on film can be tough. It needs to feel right, the look, the dress code, the mannerisms all need to be accurate or it will crumble on the spot. One of the things The Great Gatsby did fantastically was capture the essence of the thirties.
Nick Carraway a Midwesterner moves next door to the mysterious Gatsby, who on weekends throws lavish parties featuring some of the wealthiest people in New York. Carraway is invited and soon finds himself learning more about this mysterious Gatsby and why he does what he does. The man seems to have it all, but underneath that exterior is a vulnerable Gatsby and Carraway soon discovers his true identity.
Full of extravagant set pieces and amazing party shots, The Great Gatsby becomes too focused on the redundant and not enough on the development of some great characters. Baz Luhrmann is known for his own unique style and it has served him well in the past and even did for the first part of this film, but then it just feel apart when the film was supposed to transcend the visuals and start delivering a character driven plot. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby develops it’s eccentricities at the expense of it’s great source material and that is never the best course of action.
Not at all surprising the acting was the best thing about this movie. DiCaprio was probably one of few actors capable of portraying such a layered character in Gatsby. As the film progresses, DiCaprio’s Gatsby becomes more and more susceptible to the world that is crumbling around him. Tobey Maguire is fantastic as well, adding a well rounded supporting character in Carraway that provides an often bleak and depressing narration to the film. However, it was DiCaprio’s chemistry with leading lady Carrey Mulligan that carried the film. At times the two seemed perfect for their respective roles, carrying just the right amount of emotions even when the scene was supposed to be happy. There was a lot for these characters to go through, but Lurhmaan decided the visuals were more important then a real human journey, filled with spirituality and acceptance.
Much of the Great Gatsby is in fact entertaining, the music, the grandeur, the vibrant sets and the acting are all fantastic, it just lacks a compelling narrative, characters that are dependable later in the film, and most of all it lacks an ending. It ends abruptly, making you question the visual splendour that had just been displayed for the past two hours. The contrast of the upper and lower classes of New York was well done, but very seldom touched upon until the final climactic scene that changes the course of the entire plot. It just becomes a damaged film, with too many colors on display and not enough life in its characters.
Definitely worth a viewing if you have read the novel, or a fan of DiCaprio’s body of work. Beyond that, The Great Gatsby could be saved for a rainy day weekend when you’ve seen all the other big movies. I’m not saying don’t see it; just view it at your own leisure, because it may not be the film you thought it would be.
7/10
