The Great Gatsby seems like a perfect fit for director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!). The man can make a spectacle out of anything and Gatsby is no exception. Let’s be honest, if you got it you might as well flaunt it. The F. Scott Fitzgerald classic has quite a few versions for the small and big screen; however, Luhrmann’s interpretation is unlike any we have experienced before.
It is the look, costumes, music, and the entire atmosphere of the film that transfers you to another world. You cannot help but be in awe of it all, no matter how extravagant and over-the-top it may be. Yet once you are able to see through all of the glitz and glamour, The Great Gatsby feels empty. When it’s all over, you should feel something. You should care about these people, but the emotion is not there. It becomes just as shallow as the people who attend Gatsby’s parties.
For those of you who are not familiar with the story, Gatsby is told by writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who we first see in an institution talking to his therapist. And as a way to cope with his alcoholism and depression, he begins writing about the summer he spent in New York and the friendship he formed with the one and only Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Nick becomes Gatsby’s neighbor and is soon personally invited to one of his famously lavish parties. It is there where Nick finally meets the man who has been spying on him.
Gatsby takes him under his wing. Anything Nick wants, Gatsby can give it to him. While Gatsby gives Nick a taste of the good life, he has an ulterior motive. He plans to use Nick to get back the love of his life who was stolen from him five years ago. Her name is Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and she just so happens to be Nick’s cousin. She is now married to Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton) who comes from old money and lives that kind of lifestyle to its full potential. But now with Gatsby having his own fortune and is now a somebody, he believes this is the perfect time to whisk Daisy away so they can finally be together. With Nick’s help, he is going to get exactly what he wants. The woman he desperately needs.
The Great Gatsby is visually stunning. There is no question about it. But it is up to the performances in order for the story to connect on a personal level. The film has a terrific cast, but not everyone delivers like you would hope. I like Maguire and we have not seen him on the big screen for a while. Maguire’s Nick is the guy who was once looking from the outside in and thanks to Gatsby, he finds himself right in the middle of the captivating world of the extremely wealthy and gets swept up in their greed, illusions, deceit, and, most importantly, their loves. He sits and watches everything around him crumble and it is not until towards the end we actually see some real emotion shine through. Nick is mainly there to report to us what is going on incase we cannot keep up. He is all talk with no real action. Maguire is better than that.
Then there is the beautiful, talented Mulligan. Going by the previews, I thought for sure as Daisy, she would blow it out of the water. Instead, she appears to be restricted and plays down the part. Now that may not have been her choice, but she is simply a woman who cannot make up her mind. She is not a sympathetic character and comes across as a cold-hearted bitch. It starts to make you wonder what Gatsby saw in her in the first place. On the other hand, the man who plays her husband, Edgerton, really surprises as Tom Buchanan and gives him more depth than any other character besides Gatsby himself.
Edgerton is revelatory and truly shows his hurt and pain even if he is asking for it. Tom loves Daisy, but that does not mean he is faithful to her. He has his wife and then his mistresses, and has a difficult time keeping them separate. And once him and Gatsby meet, he cannot help but investigate where he came from and how he became the man he is today. Everything leads to their final confrontation and it’s an explosive scene and one of the best parts in the entire film. Edgerton plays Tom with great confidence by showing the many layers of his character. You cannot put a specific label on Tom because Edgerton’s portrayal won’t allow it.
Above everything else, The Great Gatsby is Leonardo DiCaprio. If there is one person who can play an individual such as Jay Gatsby, it is him. Every line he speaks you believe. Physically and emotionally, he plays every scene just right. Gatsby is a mysterious man who appears to have his whole future planned out. He is just missing one piece and it is the love of Daisy. He looks like he has it all, but beyond the fancy suits, cars, and parties is a lonely man who has been obsessed for far too long. I think a lot of us forget that Gatsby is not innocent in all of this. You can only get away with so much before everything eventually catches back up with you.
DiCaprio is cool and calm until his passion and anger bursts out from inside of him. He brings such charm, charisma, and intensity to the role. He makes you feel for Gatsby even if you do not agree with some of his choices. DiCaprio has come a long way since Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and he only gets better. His powerful performance keeps The Great Gatsby from falling to its knees.
We all know what Luhrmann is capable of. He is attracted to tragic romances and with his own unique style, he makes this classic novel visually breathtaking on-screen. Luhrmann is not afraid to take risks and I respect him for that. The Great Gatsby is big, bold, and beautiful, but with risk comes the chance of failure. The film is not a failure but it does have its fair share of mistakes.
First, Luhrmann tries to put some social issues in to his love story, but he just scratches the surface and having a film last over 2 hours and 20 minutes, it’s not like he didn’t have the time to go a little deeper. The problem may be a lack of effort. And speaking of its running time, the film is about 20-30 minutes too long. The first 45 minutes is interesting while being quick and easy as well. The film has real momentum then it flatlined as soon as we get to the second half of the plot. In an instant, everything slows down and any excitement or anticipation begins to fade and turns in to boredom.
The heart of The Great Gatsby centers around love and the loss of it. The scandal, romance, and tragedy appeals to all of us and with a story like that we should all somehow be affected by it once we leave the theatre. Unfortunately, we will remember what it looks like a lot more than what it is actually about. Everything takes a back seat to the razzle and dazzle of Lurhmann’s direction and it all becomes one big distraction.
With all that said, I still think The Great Gatsby is something that must be seen in theatres. Luhrmann knows how to make his work stand out and it’s impossible not to take notice. The film along with a couple of performances are simply mesmerizing, but perhaps The Great Gatsby is too much for any director to grasp. Even for a guy like Luhrmann who loves to go big, the classic may be larger than life and cannot be told in any other way except on the page.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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