DiCaprio dazzles as an obsessive self-made man
Nick Carraway is depressed, anxious, and suffering from alcohol withdrawal at the opening of director Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. His psychiatrist recommends that Nick write down “what happened” that summer to put him in his current state of mind.
Carraway then goes on to narrate a story of obsession, poverty, hope and betrayal involving his mysterious rich neighbour Gatsby and his obsession with Daisy, Nick’s cousin.
If this review was being written in the ’20s it would say, “It’s big! It’s loud! It’s a production! They’re gonna love it.” Modern day audiences will love it.
Baz Luhrmann reunites with Leonardo DiCaprio in this film; they worked together in the MTV inspired Romeo and Juliet in 1996. DiCaprio, flawless as Jay Gatsby, Toby Maguire, reliable as Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) believable as the unhappy Daisy Buchanan, bring a lot of star quality to an ambitious file. Warrior muscleman Joel Edgerton is perfect as Daisy’s husband, rich entitled sportsman Tom Buchanan. He constantly cheats on his wife but thinks it’s a fair exchange for the lavish lifestyle she gains from being married to him.
The movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book first published in 1925, critiques post World War One American society’s discomfort with the nouveau riche rubbing shoulders with the upper crust. This mystery man Gatsby is disdained by Tom Buchanan because he wasn’t born into wealth and refuses to give him any respect for the riches he has made.
Gatsby throws lavish parties at his home in West Egg, Long Island each weekend for New York’s rich and famous. Yet he is rarely seen enjoying his own parties. Carraway, a man of humble means, finds himself invited to the palatial estate and is astonished by the spectacle of the rich.
The party scenes are where Luhrmann puts his stamp on the genre. Energetic flappers dance the Quickstep and the Charleston while jazz musicians blow their lungs out. His choice of modern era music throughout the film brings a contemporary edge. The soundtrack should be nominated for an Oscar next year as Jay-Z executively produced the soundtrack.
As the story unfolds, we learn Gatsby met Daisy five years previously and fell in love at first sight. Ah, romance. But the war gets in the way, as does the fact that he is a penniless man who knows he cannot wed the wealthy Daisy until he can afford to keep her happy. She doesn’t wait for him after the war and instead marries rich Tom Buchanan and passes the time drinking martinis and entertaining.
Gatsby’s self-made riches are a result of his obsession with Daisy. He is the original stalker. Every decision he makes is by design to win Daisy back. The home he bought is directly across the bay from her home. Each night he can see a green light at the end of the Buchanan’s dock signifying money and all the privilege that comes along with it.
While Gatsby is obsessive, Daisy is selfish. It is never really clear if she loves Gatsby or Buchanan or if she is just a spoiled young woman afraid to make a choice. In the end, social class and feelings of entitlement determine their lives. The rules are different for the old and the new rich and Gatsby pays a hefty price as a result. Money cannot buy everything, including love.
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