Well if anything was to be certain it was in fact that this films story-line was very good - as assumed. Like many of you out there, I too was privileged [forced] to read The Great Gatsby. However, if my memory serves me correct, what I remembered of this book was...nothing. In fact, my experience with this story prior to viewing the film was rather minuscule.
My version of the book, Old Sport!
Even though the words of Fitzgerald were not etched into my brain, I was still able to follow along with a story closely resembling a crazy straw, not a piece of spaghetti. If those visuals do not help, this will; The Great Gatsby, for those who don't know, follows along a fictional journey of wealth, power, intrigued deception, mystery, murder, love, Old Sport, etc. The Protagonist, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is a bonds man/writer who moves in next to a wealthy recluse named Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Across the water from these two lives Carraway's cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Throughout the story, all of the above mentioned become intertwined with one another, leading to a pseudo-love triangle, jealous rage, dangerous acts, etc. etc. etc.
The Great Gatsby... It's Complicated.
Ultimately in the end there are multiple causalities, even more unhappy characters, and some down-and-out relationships; just another typical love story... not. This story makes Romeo and Juliet seem a little less complicated.
One thing that aided in my following this story Old Sport, was the supreme acting on all levels: key to ancillary characters. Even though Gatsby was clearly the title character, Nick Carraway was by far the most stellar performance of them all. Having said that, no one character/actor seemed weak. Even if you are a fan of the novel, I felt that each actor truly brought their "A" game to this film, thus not letting the viewers down. I'm not going to jump on my soap-box here Old Sport and say that each and every performance was Oscar worthy, or that their performances will be the standard to which all others be compared, but more so that the cast as a whole was excellent; they all understood their roles, knew their place in the story and played their character's to a "T". I wouldn't be surprised come next year if we have a name or two from this cast and crew said aloud to the Academy for one thing or another; Costuming and Production Design would definitely be the categories for which I would most expect to see those names, Old Sport.
Rosebud...wait, that's a different story
Put aside the story; put aside the acting; put aside the power such a famous story brings; and let's focus on the most impressive aspects of this film, and that is the look and feel of this Old Sport. The term Production Design is a term most people don't know; coined by William Cameron Menzies, for his work on Gone With The Wind, a Production Designer's responsibilities are to:
"collaborates with the director and director of photography to establish the visual feel and specific aesthetic needs of the project. The production designer guides key staff in other departments such as the costume designer, the key hair and make-up stylists, the special effects director and the locations manager (among others) to establish a unified visual appearance to the film."
Before Menzies, this position was known as the "Art Director". The reason Production Designer became so important was because on the set of Gone With The Wind, Menzies was coordinating and leading a much larger scale production and crew far greater than most other Art Directors of that time. Due to his enormous involvement with the look and feel of GWTW, the Academy decided to create a "position" granted to those who truly went above and beyond the normal required output of Art Directors. Thus Production Designer was born (The Art Director title was not abandoned and the position still exists on smaller projects today; however, not all Art Directors are seen as Production Designers vice versa). The more you know Old Sport!!!!!
The Production Design for The Great Gatsby was top-notch. This film was a CGI Heavy-Weight; seems to be a common trend these days, however, the look of the buildings, settings and the automobiles was absolutely extraordinary. The grandiosity of the interiors of Gatsby's mansion, the Buchanan's mansion and the bootlegger club in the barber shop; were quite exquisite and elaborate. The rave like parties thrown by Gatsby were luxurious and over-the-top and everything they were supposed to be.
As you can see above not a stitch was overlooked. The characters, costumes, parties, confetti, mansion etc. looked and felt just as the book intended, it portrayed the epitome of The American Dream. The viewer feels as though they are a member of the 1920's era festivities
In order to make such an elaborate film with an intricate story full of big names, you have to have a Director who is no stranger to the experience; enter Baz Luhrmann. Don't worry if the name doesn't sound familiar right away, I'll give you a few titles he has been associated with and we will see where we are at that point: Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, Australia. Old Sport!! Maybe now his name sounds a little more familiar to you. It turns out that Luhrmann is the "perfect" candidate to direct such a film of this magnitude; it's pretty evident since he has been behind the wheel of some huge projects with mega success. Luhrmann was able to create an entirely new vision for this film, a remake of the 1974 version starring Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, and make it stand on its own two feet. Even though the story isn't original, and the film isn't an original, this version of The Great Gatsby makes it seem as though it is original, and because of that, it will stand out amongst the crowd-all thanks to: the cast, the crew, the look, the direction, and every little detail not mention nor forgotten.
Final Words: Large Popcorn.
Having seen the project from start to finish with little to no memory of the story, and having the ability to see every aspect big and small, I can safely say this film is worth seeing. Not the best for young children, but maybe a good film for them once they get [forced] the privilege of reading this literary masterpiece.
Until next time, happy viewing!
Review Rating : Based on popcorn sizes; small, medium, large, extra-large
When films get a snore zzz... worth skipping
Nice review Leigh. The cast does what they can, but the direction isn’t too concerned with them. It’s all style, all the time.
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