Menu
Wesley Cheng Home
  • Home
    • Environment
    • Literature
    • Movie Review
    • Philosophy
    • Politics
    • Racism
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Television
    • Theater
  • About Me
  • Resume
  • Contact
Wesley Cheng Home

Review: The Great Gatsby

Posted on May 24, 2013May 19, 2021 by Wesley

When I read the Great Gatsby as a high schooler, I was taught about dangers of excess and the cautions of the chase for the American dream. Jay Gatsby’s pursual of Daisy Buchanan was a warning of the attempt to achieve an unobtainable goal. In the same vein, Gatsby’s wild parties were examples of the moral decay in society. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby largely ignores that message in his 2013 release, instead choosing to focus on a highly stylized fantasy world.

And what a fantasy world it is. Luhrmann’s Gatsby has Jay-Z playing in the background of his wild and lavish parties that would put Ditty to shame. ‘Extravagant’ wouldn’t come close to describing the visuals. Then again, I expected that, coming from his work in Moulin Rouge.

In this regard, Luhrmann does pay appropriate tribune to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. The characters all speak in his stylized prose, and the parties do justice to what Fitzgerald envisioned. But, of course, this isn’t the reason that Fitzgerald’s novel became a mainstay in American education. The main problem with The Great Gatsby is that Luhrmann’s film doesn’t quite cut to the core of Fitzgerald’s story, missing the chance to connect the viewer with the overall message. 

We’re treated to outstanding performances from Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the narrator of the story, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). While I don’t think Carey Mulligan was cast correctly as Daisy Buchanan  strictly in terms of sheer looks (I expected her to be more statuesque and less ‘the girl next door’), Mulligan does an excellent job with the most complex character in the story.

By now, you probably know Gatsby’s plot. He and Daisy had met five years ago, but Daisy was from the upper class, and Gatsby was dirt poor at the time. But, following his eternal optimism and the American dream, Gatsby became more rich than he could possibly imagine. With the right social standing, he could now pursue Daisy. Of course, her husband, the racist and unfaithful Tom Bucannan (Joel Edgerton), takes exception.

But, at its core, The Great Gatsby was never about the love triangle. Fitzgerald used that as a mirage to get to his greater point. This story doesn’t end happily as Fitzgerald’s way of warning us about this kind of lifestyle. I’m not quite sure Luhrmann conveys this. While I certainly enjoyed the movie, I didn’t leave with the message that I left with as a teenager reading the book.

That is the danger of attempting to remake an American classic. Push too hard, and the message becomes cumbersome. Attempt to over-stylize, and the message becomes lost all together. Viewed through a lens of pure entertainment, Luhrmann’s Gatsby certainly achieves high marks. But that lens is not what made The Great Gatsby the great American novel.

  • Movie Review
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • December 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • February 2022
    • November 2021
    • July 2021
    • May 2021
    • November 2020
    • September 2020
    • December 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • April 2019
    • November 2015
    • July 2015
    • September 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • October 2013
    • May 2013
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • February 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • February 2011
    • August 2010
    • May 2010
    • March 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • March 2009
    • January 2009
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • April 2008
    • February 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • September 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • December 2003
    • November 2003
    • October 2003
    • September 2003
    • August 2003
    • April 2003
    • March 2003
    • February 2003
    • January 2003
    • December 2002
    • November 2002
    • October 2002
    • September 2002
    • July 2002
    • May 2002
    • April 2002
    ©2023 Wesley Cheng Home | Powered by WordPress & Superb Themes