The Great Gatsby

Plot

A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

Release Year: 2013

Rating: 7.5/10 (4,182 voted)

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Storyline

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

Writers: ,

Taglines:
Can't repeat the past? …of course you can!

Details

Official Website:
Official site
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Country: ,

Release Date:

Filming Locations: Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office Details

Budget: $105,000,000

(estimated)

Technical Specs

Runtime:
143 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire have been real-life friends since childhood. This marks the first time they have appeared in a movie together since Don's Plum. See more »

User Review

An intriguing story re-told again with attention to mystery. 8/10

Rating: 8/10


8/10.

I know a lot of the other reviewers will compare this film to the older
one and also the book, so if you're interested in a comparison, stop
reading here. I want to review this film as a movie that tells a story,
like every other film. I don't want to review this as a film that tried
to beat its preceding film adaptation.

I myself have read the book and have always been so intrigued with the
character of Gatsby, and when I heard a few years back that he would be
portrayed on the big screen by DiCaprio, I couldn't wait. The character
carries such a mystery about him that was delivered so excellently by
Leonardo DiCaprio, and made it so fun to watch. It was almost like I
didn't know what the ending was because I was so immersed in 1920s New
York, and in the lifestyle of The Great Gatsby.

The film itself, as a film, was awesome! The visuals and soundtrack
were captivating and lavish. The acting was great overall, as you can
trust these actors to deliver.

I read somewhere on IMDb (message board or another reviewer, I can't
remember) that Leonardo wasn't a good fit for the role of Gatsby. I
think this statement couldn't be more wrong. If you have read the book,
you must have some idea about the depth of Gatsby's character, the
depth of his mind, his desires. The false smiles, the phony handshakes,
the uneasiness in being in public, the way Jay Gatsby conducts himself
in front of Daisy, and in pursuit of her. All these things are
delivered so well by DiCaprio. His nerve, his frustration, his
determination…all so eloquently portrayed. But most of all, his
passion, and as Nick Carraway, our narrator so emphatically reminds us,
his hope. The character development of Jay Gatsby, and the development
of all those surrounding him gives us such a deep look at the
relationships of such a diverse category of people.

The storyline is obviously interesting: A man realizes his new neighbor
is a mysterious, and incredibly wealthy man. Like how awesome is that?
Throughout the whole film, as the relationships between all the few
main characters become deeper and deeper, and the questions become
answered, you just can't help but feel so into the characters' lives.
Great writing for the characters, great directing, great great great
acting.

Overall, this is just a great film. If you go into the theater thinking
"oh this'll suck compared to Robert Redford" or "I bet the book is way
better", you're setting yourself up for a bad 143 minutes. Don't be so
close minded and try to view it as just another film that tells a
fictional story, and a great one at that.