Think of Hollywood and glamour and you think of Baz Luhrmann. Think of literature and glamour and you think of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s American classic The Great Gatsby, a tragic tale of spectacular, golden, excess. Perfect then that the Australian director, who built his reputation in the industry on the spectacular visual design of his pictures, should be making the first ever mega-budget adaptation of the novella.
When the trailer was released it divided audiences in its use of anachronistic music, and its general, over-the-top, spectacular portrayal of 1920s New York:
Of course readers/viewers will hold opinions of what that world looked like, dearly so if they’re fans of the book but what is important with adaptations I find is that you simply have to believe the world which you are presented with.
You may not like it, and it may not agree with what you had in mind, but it can certainly said, of this adaptation at least, that Luhrmann holds the source material very dear.
This is demonstrated by the shear grandeur and glamour of the visual style which you will have noticed in these pictures.
Synopsis: Nick Carraway, a Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
Release date: December, 2012
Source: Cinema Blend
