After a really long build up with the delay of the release date, I finally went to see The Great Gatsby at the cinema last night and it definitely lived up to my expectations. There have been some mixed reviews about this classic but I thought it was a beautiful tragedy. Baz Luhrmann is well known for his lavish sets and decadent party scenes from his red curtain trilogy, and he is renowned for his use of anachronism. For example in Romeo and Juliet, he updated the original play in a modern set whilst keeping the Shakespearean dialogue. In the Great Gatsby, this is shown by the classic Jazz Age scenes being beautifully blended with a 21st Century soundtrack. I feel this made the film much more relatable whilst keeping extremely accurate to the book. Baz Luhrmann said he wanted to "follow and reveal the book to this audience now".
As well as being visually stunning the film is a tragic love story about endless hope and not being able to let go. Gatsby builds up his love for Daisy so much that it is impossible for her to live up to his expectations. There is a running theme of beautiful on the outside and empty on the inside and I think Baz Luhrmann captures this well. Nick Carraway describes the Buchanans as a 'rotton crown' who destroy people in their way before retreating back to their money to let other people clean up their mess.
Despite the mixed reviews I loved the film and can't wait to see it again. It was ambitious and visually dazzling!
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