Review of The Great Gatsby (2013) by Ryan M — 23 Apr 2016

The movie Great Gatsby was personally amazing and how close it is to the book. Baz Luhrmann did a wonderful job of producing this gorgeous movie. Though he took some heat from critics who say it was too much, the critics clearly didn't know what they were talking about. The right cast, mood, and atmosphere was what made this old sport shine.

The cast of Great Gatsby was key. Leonardo DiCaprio did not fall short into fitting the character Jay Gatsby. In fact while I read the book I even wondered what he was truly like and what his persona was like. DiCaprio exceeded my expectations and made me love the character Gatsby even more. Nick Carraway was played by Tobey Maguire, Daisy Buchanan was played by Carey Mulligan, and Tom Buchanan was played by Joel Edgerton. All of them showed outstanding work. Their expressions and emotions drawled you in and you could feel what they were feeling. The characterization in the movie fulfilled what was also portrayed in the book.

The mood or aura in the movie was shown in a number of ways. An examples portrayed in the movie were the parties. The luxurious and grand buildings, the rich clothes of money making millionaires, the overused and abused alcohol, the music that related to viewer, the crowdedness of Gatsby's palace, the feeling of nonchalant and not a care in the world except to have fun. All of these things were shown to the viewer at simply one part of the movie. The movie may seem like it's a lot to take in (especially if that is just one part of the movie), but I believe that this movie is about first experiences. It causes the viewer to rewatch the movie multiple times. If anything I feel that Luhrmann did a better job of showing the party at Gatsby's than Fitzgerald.

The atmosphere of this movie makes you feel like you're on the edge of your seat. Though some believe the climax is when Daisy hits and kills Myrtle with the car, I believe that the climax is when Gatsby loses his temper because that is when Daisy has made up her mind to stay with Tom instead of Gatsby. Beforehand the viewer can just feel the pressure and agitation that the atmosphere presents. The Great Gatsby was a masterpiece and took directly from the book. I only wished it had gotten better reviews.

Throughout the whole book and movie you want to believe in hope like Gatsby. You want to repeat the past like he did. It's a risky message and a hard way of life but I believe that if a person is blindly following their dreams it's possible to achieve some part of it.