By Mitchell Harris
Sophomore, Mathematics major
Arguably too true to Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby made me feel like I was reading the book, again. Director Baz Luhrmann successfully recreates the majestic parties that Leonardo DiCaprio cast as Jay Gatsby hides behind while hoping to live again an altered past.
When the rush of the parties finally ended, I never would have thought I was going to miss that horribly misplaced Jay-Z, will.i.am, and Beyoncé music.
Only then I began the wait of the long drives, romantic tensions, and awkwardly situated Nick.
Just to be sure that Luhrmann captured all the symbolism compressed into those 170 pages, he flashed me an image of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg’s eyes for several seconds. The quotes from the narrative that faded in and out across the screen served as the only elaboration. Fans of the book will certainly appreciate the loyalty the movie held to Fitzgerald’s classic, but newcomers might be left in the dark.
The moods created by the cinematography brought the story of Gatsby to life, to death, and to regret, through no shortage of Fitzgerald’s own words and symbolic creations. Perhaps, however, the pace of an exact recreation was never well suited to please those not already in love with Nick Hathaway’s story.
UF PRISM 