Gatsby

The book, The Great Gatsby, is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous works. The book is narrated by Nick Carraway, a Mid-Western who moves into a small house next to Gatsby’s mansion in the (fictional) West Egg of New York. It follows a man named Jay Gatsby and his quest to reunite with his love.

One problem that movie directors face when making a movie based on a book is, “Why is the character narrating the story?” In my opinion Baz Luhrmann, the director of the 2013 adaptation, answers this question beautifully. Though others may beg to differ, I think that putting Nick in a sanitarium years after the event was a wonderful idea.

As for the movie, it was a thrilling and exciting roller-coaster. This movie really captures the pomp, glamour, and the ugliness of the 20’s. The over-the-top lavish parties and the costumes were amazing and give this generation and future generations an essence of how it must have been like to live in that era.

Throughout the movie, the viewers are kept in mystery about Gatsby’s family, history, and wealth. Where Gatsby’s wealth comes from is a recurring topic in the movie and is kept a mystery till the end. There were many scenes that were executed beautifully but some scenes were just amazing such as the scene with the “beautiful shirts”.

The music in the movie helps create suspense and sets the music. The album is currently number 3 on the iTunes charts. (May 23, 2013)

Overall I enjoyed this movie very much. It helped me understand the book better. The things I enjoyed the most in this movie were the costumes, the music, graphics, and of course Leonardo DiCaprio.