When bringing a beloved book to the big screen a director faces three main pitfalls. Poor acting can tarnish treasured characters; Anne Hathaway in One Day for example boasting the most horrific attempt at a British accent to date. The plot can go awry, either by missing out chunks of the story, or the lesser-known mistake of being too faithful; the slow paced Da Vinci Code fell prey to this. Undoubtedly however the worst misstep of all is to lose the meaning of the story. While director Luhrmann’s latest adaption of The Great Gatsby looks and sounds great, Fitzerald’s message is lost in a haze of dazzling, and meaningless imagery.
The story begins with Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) reliving the events of his summer spent in West Egg to his physiatrist. The films narrative device is based on his written account, of how his depression and alcoholism, stemmed from a summer living next door to the notorious Mr Gatsby.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s entrance is certainly ‘great’. Centre stage, he is lit up by a backdrop of fireworks, poised in a perfectly cut tuxedo, champagne in hand, with a handsome daredevil smile. For the first half an hour the use of explosive colour, costume, feathers, glitter and hip hop is very exciting. This feeling wears off however with the constant movement of the camera and hysterical energy resulting in an on-going headache. I think I speak for most when I say that Leo’s acting abilities are rarely disappointing and this is no exception. Although Luhrmann seems unsure about what the story is actually getting at, Dicaprio does the best with what he is given and captures the childlike desperation of Gatsby’s complex character.
The film only succeeds in moments where Luhrmann steps back. Scenes between Gatsby and long lost love Daisy (Carey Mulligan) are both believable and endearing, and their awkward first encounter surrounded by macaroons is a refreshing dose of humour. The balance of romance and the unconventional that Luhrmann achieved in Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, would have been valuable in depicting Gatsby’s plight to win Daisy back.
What becomes evident is that Luhrmann hasn’t quite decided what story he wants to tell. Is it the story of one man’s plight to fit into the upper class society? A love story? A story of power and politics? He gives all of them a go; leaving the audience confused as to what they were just watching. Without reading the book afterwards there is no way to decipher it.
Luhrmann has produced a film that Gatsby ironically would have made himself. Instead of Fitzgerald’s stance on the selfish hollow natured 1920’s upper class we are just given the shell. Focusing the audience’s attention on the overindulgent parties, the costume, the fireworks, the film applauds the Jay Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle. The film is 90% style and 10% substance, it embodies Gatsby’s character and none of Fitzgerald’s moral reasoning.