Based from the novel The Great Gatsby written by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, the 2013 The Great
Gatsby movie was the fifth film adaptations of the said book since 1926. The
most recent Gatsby film was casted by Leonardo Di Caprio as Jay Gatsby and
Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, of whom I could say, were well fitted for their
roles. They both did a great portrayal here, especially Leo, who had
excellently brought Jay Gatsby to life from the most dominant to the least details of him. It wasn’t a surprise at all that Leo had given us here a marvelous
act, aside from the fact the he was my teenage crush, nothing could be really
denied about his greatness as an actor. Like in his other movie performance, he
had given his self away here in The Great Gatsby to provide room for the role
he would be playing, which is the role of Jay Gatsby – who was distinguished
for his peculiarity, sophistication, lavishness, and mystifying charm. Leo had
justified the sometimes firm and sometimes dithering attitude, the presentation
of sugar-coated personality and the bared one, the unmatched passion and
effortless charm that all contained in Jay Gastby’s unpredictable nature.
The film as told in the book concerned
the story of young millionaire Jay Gatsby and his undying love for Daisy
Buchanan. The entire story was looked through the perspective of Daisy’s
cousin, Nick Carraway who was also the narrator in the movie. By following in
precise details on what were being described in the novel, the viewers would
surely enjoy the extravagant sights of the gaudy and fanciful Long Island where
Gastby’s mansion was located.
The developments of the characters
were carefully made from the physique features to the clothing fashion and the
manners that should be acted. Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker here were
depicted as perfectly as they were described in the book – satiated with grace
and elegance, Daisy and Jordan were the perfect epitome of the sweetest and posh
ladies who belonged in the superior society of their era.
The film was created to be a complete
parallel movie version of the book, delivering the story through Nick’s views.
This brought both the good and limited effects though – good to the sense that
the film balanced the standpoints of the audiences, who were seeing through
Nick’s spectacles. Nick was the type of person who tried to reserve his
judgments for as long as he could stand it – and this in turn, influenced the
audiences’ notion as well. However a balanced viewpoint quiet has the tendency
to spoil the emotions that are being built up along the progression of the
movie. Also, the narration style limited the film on its great potential to
bring the chronicle in its stunning climax, because it somewhat subdued the
supposedly peak of the story. Nevertheless, that was really how the story went
in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, and the filmhad just followed it
accordingly.
I have watched the movie first
before I got to read the book. After I finished the novel I noticed some parts
that weren’t included in the movie’s ending – appearance of Jay Gatsby’s father
and the funeral scene that really made me feel so heavy at heart while I was ready
it. Maybe, if they have included it in the film as well, they could
have done probably a more sensible ending because the father’s appearance
and statement in the novel had shown small but significant details on the other
side of Jay Gatsby’s personality.
For this wonderful movie inspired by one of the most remarkable piece in the history of literature, I will give it a rate of 7 Espresso Shots!
