May 17, 2013 07:08 AM
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As humans we may have evolved, with technology now at our fingertips. However, there are certain age-old core emotions that remain the same. It is after all love or money (as some may say) and above all "hope" that still makes the world go around. Are we not part of the circle of life today just as much as we were back in the 1920s when pride, greed, lust, anger, infidelity, betrayal and deception existed alongside unconditional love, honesty, friendship and trust (though increasingly hard to find). No matter how painful it may be, it is those few eternal moments when you look into your beloved's eyes that makes it all worth it and gives you hope that your dreams might just come true.
There are some stories that must be re-told time and again as each generation will have a different take. One such story is Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", published back in 1925 during the prohibition and the pre-depression era. In the 1930s during the post depression era when the stock market crashed, America changed and seemingly wealthy people were suddenly on the streets. While there have been several films made about the difficulties and the hard times that people had to face in the post-depression era, "The Great Gatsby" portrays the life and style of the rich and the famous, who had more money than they knew what to do with it during prohibition and the pre-depression era.
As they say life is defined by moments. The moments gone by, moments we regret or those that we yearn for and hope that they may return some day. So begins the movie when the camera zooms in from a wide shot of the backdrop of snow covered grounds and trees with snowflakes falling slowly; into a psychiatrist's office, where a seemingly alcoholic and depressed Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire) (close up shot) is in the midst of a session narrating about his unlikely camaraderie with an enigmatic neighbor named Gatsby.
Thus, commences the intriguing revelation of Gatsby, who lives in a beautiful mansion all alone in the "New Moneyed" area of Long Island, NY right across the bank from the "old-moneyed" folks. How did he accumulate his wealth? His existence is accompanied by more scandals and speculations than one could ever imagine. He hosts some of the wildest parties in town, yet he is hardly present at his own parties. Who is this elusive Gatsby after all? His extravagant life-style is envied by many, yet he feels nothing but emptiness. Time and again his hand tries to reach out to that unattainable green light shining across the bank. Why? Nick calls himself an insider-outsider, why? and how did a successful bond broker like him land up in therapy?
Of course each time a book is adapted into a cinematic version, there will always be comparisons and complaints about what was ignored or not "rightly" translated on screen. Cinema being a highly visual medium, the onus is on the director to present the story according to his/ her interpretation and bring the characters to life.
The most recent version of "The Great Gatsby" is the third attempt by a film director (Baz Luhrmann) to bring his vision to screen, with Leonardo Di Caprio playing the title role. The previous version which I had seen a on DVD was made in 1974, directed by Jack Clayton with Robert Redford enacting the title role in his heydays. The very first version was made back in the silent era (1926). There have also been T.V. movie adaptations of this wonderful story.
For this review I will mainly focus on Luhrmann's take on the story. If you have seen Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge", you are familiar with his vociferous, theatrical style of film making where dance numbers, pop/jazz/opera music, bright colors, intricate costume and larger than life set-designs play a vital role in story-telling. Luhrmann made Romeo and Juliet back in the 1990s and Australia more recently, but "The Great Gatsby" reminded me a lot about his "Moulin Rouge".
It is clear that the director is an expert in amalgamating his passion for music with his unmistakable style of well conceived shots. Though I am not a fan of CGI effects, but I felt the use of CGI in this film was wonderful and enhanced some of the scenes. The 3D aspect added to it and gave it an extra edge. Though I feel for a story like this 3D is unnecessary.
In terms of movie making, Gatsby's introduction scene is one of the most phenomenal scenes that any lead actor could ask for. There will be people who may think it's way too much, but to me it is the stuff that the magic of cinema is all about, with stars and fire crackers lighting up the dark skies behind the lead character and the camera panning in slowly from the foot upwards into a shot of a smiling Gatsby.
A smile that takes its time to spread across his lips and face, with his sharp blue eyes reflecting that smile. Leonardo DiCaprio has come a long way since his 'Titanic' and 'Romeo Juliet' days. Over the years, he has delved into some of the most complex characters on screen and this film is another feather in his cap. In particular what comes to my mind are films like "The Aviator"; "Shutter Island"; "Revolutionary Road"; "The Departed"; and his wonderful role in the recent "Django Unchained".
In terms of casting I could think of none other than Leo to play this role. His portrayal of pain, anger, frustration, undying hope was amazing. Coming to the female lead character of Daisy portrayed by Carey Mulligan, I felt that it was a case of casting gone wrong. Her character is supposed to be somewhat vulnerable yet manipulative, seductive, passionate, beautiful but flaky and got swayed easily. This role required someone more matured, who looked the part and could match up to Leo. Mulligan was too childlike and lacked the regality and extra X factor expected from the character. There wasn't much chemistry with Leo and scenes which could have been beautiful and romantic, turned out to be bland thanks to Mulligan. To me she was the downside of the movie. Someone like Catherine Zeta Jones (in her younger days) or Ann Hathaway would have been a better choice.
Toby Maguire as Nick Carraway was alright though he tended to have a lost/ confused expression throughout the movie. There are scenes where he excelled, especially toward the climax. His scenes with Leo were a delight to watch. The scene where Daisy meets Gatsby after five years in Nick's house and Nick signals Gatsby to fix his hair brought a smile. Edgerton as Tom Buchannan was a little over the top. In terms of supporting cast, Amitabh Bachchan has a five minute role as Meyer Wolfsheim, the guy involved in dubious business and whose name is brought up many times during the movie. Needless to say, he nails his part.
Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker was fabulous (heck I would have loved to see her in the lead role instead of Mulligan). Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke are adequate. Jay Z did a wonderful job in creating New York's old time jazz. Background music was excellent and goes well with the narrative. As for cinematography, the color palate was perfect. With most of the scenes being indoors, the set-designs and costumes of a bygone era were a treat. Creating old time Manhattan, & Long Island was more of CGI but I loved the Duesenberg cars created to reflect the era. Some may say Luhrmann's version is loud and garish but to each his own.
One drawback I would say is the editing, specially in the first half. The film could have done with trimming by about fifteen-twenty minutes.
