The Great Gatsby

Baz Lurhmann gives the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald his trademark flamboyant spin, in an attempt to revamp this tale of capitalism, prohibition and lost love for a modern audience.

Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the role of Gatsby, a millionaire playboy who, despite being the most talked about socialite in upstate New York, is somewhat of a mystery to his party guests and his neighbour Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire.

Lurhmann is no stranger to a good love story and for most of his career has been able to generate a Disney like on-screen chemistry between his male and female leads.

The Great Gatsby’s middle act – it’s warm gooey centre – at first tugs on the heartstrings as DiCaprio’s Gatsby and Carey Mulligan’s Daisy rekindle an old spark that has lingered since being torn apart by war, class and marriage. The scenes become somewhat unnerving however, as Tobey Maguire’s Nick usually stands in the background like a plank of wood, holding a glass of whiskey and watching the romance unfold, as if to be fulfilling some odd voyeuristic fantasy.

The combination of DiCaprio and Lurhmann should be a sure bet for the perfect on-screen romance, considering the leading man earned his heartthrob stripes after Lurhmann’s unique take on Romeo + Juliet. If the Australian director is trying to recreate passion similar to that, The Great Gatsby unfortunately lacks the same intimacy and tenderness.

DiCaprio seems perfectly suited to the role of Gatsby, clinking glasses of champagne and charming the pants off his guests in one scene; exposing his neurotic, lonely alter ego in the next.

In recent years, DiCaprio has firmly established himself as a serious actor with his poster-boy days long behind and his darker side fully exposed.

Despite this his presence here is usually upstaged by Joel Edgarton as the coarse, racist and misogynistic Tom Buchanan – who much like his character dominates nearly every scene he’s in.

This isn’t the first time Lurhmann has attempted to combine classic stories with modern pop culture. His interpretation of the William Shakespeare tragedy certainly earned the interest of many a GCSE student by updating the setting from Verona to present day California, transforming the rival families into gun-toting gangsters and including a soundtrack consisting of popular contemporary artists. Similarly, 2001’s Moulin Rouge combined the musical cabaret of the landmark French burlesque show with up-to-date pop songs and even featured an appearance by Kylie Minogue.

The Great Gatsby remains rooted firmly in the roaring twenties, but glamourizes the post-war era with extravagant parties and booming speakeasies, with the story told amidst streamers flying across the scene and scantily clad women doing the can-can in the background.

It’s a feast for the eyes that sadly suffers thanks to Lurhmann’s directorial mannerisms such as nauseating roller-coaster camera sweeps and some sequences fast-forwarded in the editing room.

The soundtrack has been produced by New York raised Jay Z who brings East-Coast hip-hop, modern R’n’B and even some indie pop to the jazz era. Many of the film’s party scenes punctuate the already vibrant and swinging jazz with twenty-first century bass-heavy club anthems, in a mash up that doesn’t quite suit the film.

There are a couple of exceptions, such as Alicia Key’s New York inspired ‘Empire State of Mind’ echoing behind the view of the towering skyscrapers of the city or the key love scene surprisingly maintaining some dignity with Lana Del Ray’s ‘Young and Beautiful’.

This interpretation of The Great Gatsby seems to focus more on the extravagant than the deeper issues. Given the relatively short length of the novel the politics of the era take a backseat, instead choosing to wow the audience by padding out the film with Broadway musical numbers, explosively colourful party sequences, an advert for the big pimpin’ lifestyle and a rather overcrowded, lackluster romance.


Leigh Forgie


The Great Gatsby is playing now at Movie House Cinemas across NI.
Directed by Baz Lurhmann. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Joel Edgerton.