Movie Review: ‘The Great Gatsby’ Entertains

 a·nach·ro·nism

[uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm] Show IPA

noun. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.

Get to know the word “anachronism” right now—I don’t think I’ve seen a review yet of  Baz Lurhmann’s film adaptation of  “The Great Gatsby” that didn’t include it.  I rarely read other reviews before writing my own, but I had a feeling that I was going to have to defend Luhrmann’s glittery romp, and I wanted to know what the charges against him would be.

Unsurprisingly, many viewers have a problem with the—wait for it—anachronisms in this, the fourth attempt at making a movie out of what’s commonly referred to as “The Great American Novel.” Baz, you see, has juxtaposed modern songs by current artists, such as Jay-Z and Lana Del Rey, with the 1920’s setting of the film. Bad boy, Baz!  Jeez—you’d have thought he spat on The Bible or something.  The larger truth is that the songs are perfectly compatible with the action on the screen. If a 300 year old piece of classical music is used in a film, do we think that the film should be set in the 1700’s? No.  So, the hip hop flavor mixed with the flappers dancing it up at a party works just fine. Furthermore, it’s only noticeable in a few parts of the movie-elsewhere, we are focused on the action with the soundtrack positioned well underneath, as it should be, most of the time. Is the soundtrack CD destined to be a big seller? No doubt, and it certainly helps get the “money demographic” into the theaters to see the film.

Wait, what about the film? The film? Oh.

Ah, yes.  We’ve hardly mentioned the film, what with all the chirping and clucking and tut-tutting of the Literati who feel (or fear?) that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel has somehow been desecrated. I happen to think Fitzgerald might have dug this visual candy store, with its brilliant palette of colors and unflinching take on the celebrated excesses of the time. “Too much partying? Too much alcohol? Too much sex? Perfect!,” I imagine him saying.  And just as clearly, I imagine the Australian gadfly, known for his “Moulin Rouge,” another over-the-top slice of yumminess, shouting out directions for “More, more!”

We now pause for a brief synopsis of the actual friggin’ story:

It’s 1922 and Nick Carroway,whose inner monologue serves as the story’s narrator, has come back from World War I and has moved to Long Island, New York, where he goes to work in bonds, hoping to make a buck. His little cottage is just across the bay from his cousin Daisy and her imposing husband, Tom Buchanan. Nick’s next door neighbor? Why, J. Gatsby, himself. A zillionaire whose castle-like compound is the place where countless Jazz age hipsters come to get their bootleg drink on.  As Nick and the mysterious Gatsby become closer, Nick learns that the charismatic money-man has carried a torch for Nick’s cousin Daisy for more than five years. Never mind that her husband, a serial philanderer, would probably object to the idea of his wife being in the presence of another man, the stars in Gatsby’s eyes make him believe that one can go back into the past and start over. And that’s as much as I want to say about the story which unfolds several surprises as it recounts that eventful summer.

And now, back to the review:

Yes, Baz Luhrmann adds elements that aren’t in the novel, but he also uses a TON of lines that are straight from the pages of the beloved book. A character in the film, taking in the opulence and decadence of it all, says, “It’s like an amusement park!”  And he’s right. I suppose you could also say, meaning it as neither  flattery nor criticism, that this film is like an amusement park ride version of the book. After all, it’s impossible to tell the story in real time, with all the nuances and implied information that the book supplies to its readers. Nope, in film, one has to hit the high points, sometimes make the points more broadly, and get them out the door in 2 hours (actually 2:20, in this case), and bring in the next audience for the 10pm showing. Not to be an apologist, but those are the confines within an adaptation like this must operate. Lurhmann has done his level best to entertain us, and he succeeds.

Leonardo DiCaprio owns the role of Gatsby. Finally growing out of his lingering boyishness, DiCaprio flashes the charm without giving it all away. He’s done a good job showing, in subtle ways, that Gatsby conceals much more than he reveals.  Tobey Maguire is the only miscast actor in a large ensemble. He’s a little too sleepy eyed and morose for Nick, a character who is hyper-observant and nobody’s fool. And since Nick provides the narration for the story, somebody with good pipes would have served the role better. I guess Morgan Freeman was booked?

The costumes, set design and even the CGI camera shots that zoom us from one locale to another, are all presumptive Oscar nomination level.

So, while I think this film is a good adaptation and a decent flick—I wonder now if it’s a story that simply isn’t suited for the movie medium. Even a skillful director, making sure to convey the key elements of the source material, hasn’t struck gold, though he has found a way to entertain his intended audience—a victory, any way you slice it. But like Gatsby’s longing for the past, the perfect adaptation remains elusive. But if someone else tries their hand at it—and someone will-let’s hope they have the balls to apply an artistic vision to the process, rather than a mere 3-D recitation of the original story. On second thought, forget about that word “Anachronism.” I think the root of the challenge of adapting this story can be summed up with this word:

in·con·gru·ous

adjective \(?)in-?kä?-gr?-w?s\

a : not harmonious : incompatible <incongruous colors>

As in: “’The Great Gatsby’ novel and the medium of film are incongruous.”

But I’m glad somebody tried.

“The Great Gatsby” is rated PG-13 and is in area theaters.

Here’s a great article by the AFI, comparing and contrasting the four different Gatsby movies that have been made since the mid 1920’s: http://www.entertainmentordie.com/2013/05/the-history-of-the-great-gatsby-in-american-film-a-must-see-posting/