The Great Gatsby 2013 flim

Anyone who has been a high school student has read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and there have been many film versions of this classic novel since it was first published. The 1974 adaptation starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow was the one I watched after reading the book as a freshman. While it has been many years since then I admit that I don't remember everything about the plot but do recall the main themes and metaphors in relationship to the green light and "gods eyes" always watching.

Fitzgerald wrote a tale about a man named Jay Gatsby, this time played by a personal favorite of mine Leonardo DiCaprio, who is obsess over a woman named Daisy Buchanan, played by the talented Carey Mulligan and narrated by a novice who is new to the big city man named Nick Carraway played by the wonderful Tobey Maguire. Unfortunately Daisy is married to the rich and powerful Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton)  who himself is having a affair with Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher) who is also married to George the mechanic (Jason Clarke).

As I've said the story is taught and has been told over and over but I think that the idea of becoming someone else, as Gatsby did for Daisy, in order to escape who you were and become a new and hopefully improved version of oneself is timeless. I know there are times I imagine another, better life for myself.

In this new film director Baz Luhrmann sucks the viewer in and takes he or she into the excitement and glamour of the 1920s. Although he made this film 3D if you have every seen his past work like the amazing Moulin Rouge you already know that his movies do not need the extra special effect. The Great Gatsby is a roller coaster of a ride. The look of the film only adds to the story. From the colors on every detail of the time to the makeup, when I first saw Tom I thought he could have been a villain in a silent film from the era that the movie takes place, to the beautiful costumes, every dress worn by Daisy was just as glamorous as the next. The party scenes were large, shiny and fantastic, I would have loved to attend every one Gatsby threw. But not everything was sparkly and Luhrmann was able to show the difference between the lifestyle of the rich with their big houses and fast cars and the poor living in the dirty and run down industial part of the city. Nick's house was my favorite place and the scene when Gatsby and Daisy are reunited is a awkward moment between the two characters and it is well acted and very sweet. The unique soundtrack by rapper Jay-Z surprisingly works perfectly with the story. When it is used in the background it adds to the jazzy feeling of the times. Who knew rap and jazz were so similar?

All in all a fun and good film.

 I enjoyed and would watch The Great Gatsby again.