The Great Gatsby (2013) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 26) 🍸

Hello everyone,

Today's film was a re-watch, but it had been a long time since my first go that I remembered next to nothing of what I thought about it. Baz Luhrmann isn't everyone's cup of tea, but he isn't too bad and I respect him a great deal for carving out his own distinct aesthetic. I think this one might be among my favourite Luhrmann work....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

Commander of cinematic spectacle Baz Luhrmann lent his brain to a classic dark tale of luxury and tragedy with tremendously likeable results. Writer turned banker Nick Carroway (Tobey Maguire) moves to New York City in the summer of 1922, and his fascination with the splendour of his mysterious neighbour Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) sucks him into a tumultuous spiral of obsession and tragedy. An all-star cast embodied the iconic characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, with the visual marvels and intriguing script enough to grip audiences despite some lacklustre pacing.

Vibrant visual extravagance defined Luhrmann’s Gatsby; lending a contemporary yet time-appropriate flair to the aesthetic of this film. Plunged headfirst into the Roaring Twenties with fringe, jewels and feathers, the memorable frames of psychedelic parties spilling over opulent mansions and swing-urban fusion beats are ornate and at times overwhelming to take in. With gorgeous production and costume design from Academy Award winner Catherine Martin, no matter what the plot was doing it always felt immersively lush and dream-like in its splendour. However, Luhrmann’s inclination for visual excess was misused in places, with the Mistress Myrtle (Isla Fisher) apartment sequence carrying a degree of pointless and unnecessary crass.

Luhrmann’s direction showed restraint and explored intriguing visual cues with his trademark panache. There was resonance and power in his unassuming yet powerful motifs; an interesting extra layer of clever storytelling if the flashy glamour of the parties didn’t scare the viewer off. This sort of implicit mystical symbolism helped to ground perspective in imagination and constructed truth.

The central point of view was unequivocally Carroway’s unreliable narration; with the opening scene of his diagnosis as an anxious alcoholic insomniac casting doubt over the truth of the story straight away, but diving in anyway. His narration was one of the most beautifully compelling aspects of the film, with his feverish recounts over his typewriter as therapy from inside a sanitarium an eerie and foreboding backdrop to the unravelling events he described.

Unfortunately, this film did lose some steam somewhere in the middle. Clocking in at 2 hours and 23 minutes, it was too long and sacrificed some control for too much spectacle, dialogue and DiCaprio’s smart Gatsby saying ‘oldsport’. Either side of the weaker midsection was a well-constructed unravel of the smoke and mirrors intrigue involving Gatsby and Daisy, and excellent tension and depth from the crucial city confrontation scene and the hit and run sequence during the third act. Luhrmann and Craig Pearce’s screenplay was largely eloquent and whimsically philosophical; touching on little thematic threads like the new money vs old money debate which read like a giant ego trip fuelling tension between Gatsby and Tom. The larger thematic mediation of deceit and misfortune underneath the sumptuous lifestyles was explored well and the complexities made for a fascinating character study. Everything about Gatsby was a construction and a façade. The man about town image was an elaborate rouse to catch the attention of a married woman he was infatuated with, he had a deep insecurity about being accepted as a man of fortune and prospects and thought it was his destiny to rise up from his poor roots.

No-one escaped moral complexity, and much of the intrigue of this film came from different characters making questionable choices at various spontaneous moments. Everyone had skeletons in their closet and were sucked into the unforgiving vortex of 1920's high society. Gatsby was deceitful, ambitious and controlling in order to achieve his lie of a perfect future despite his daring fashion choices – shout-out to the three-piece pink suit. Daisy was selfish and didn’t own her affair as false hope with conditional loyalty and friendship. Tom was a certified arsehole and liar with double standards and an offensively narrow view of success and wealth. Even the sophisticated golfer Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) was just another bystander and complicit in the transgressions as long as she kept her social status.

Within the moral complexities of the characters’ journeys were several fantastic performances by a capable star-studded cast. Maguire was measured and genuine in his portrayal of Carroway, and his intonation was the right amount of punch for the necessary power of the narrator role. Mulligan oozed sophisticated innocence and nailed the Southern Belle sweetheart vibe of Daisy Buchannan. Edgerton was convincingly brutish and smug, and DiCaprio played the part of a charming and insecure gentlemen with his quintessential fervour.

A Baz Luhrmann brainchild that was both vibrant and emotionally complex, the latest iteration of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was solidly splendid. Encapsulating this world of wealth and too many secrets was compelling despite its pacing issues and one hell of a party.

8/10, 4 STARS

Thanks for reading,

Love and glitzy parties drinking too much champagne, Emily 🍸