The GREAT Gatsby

Just like every literature geek, I read The Great Gatsby in High School.  The only thing I really remember about the book is how easily someone had created a life of untruths - and yet how exciting that prospect was.   That was 1922 - long before the internet.  Now pretending to be something other than your truth is as easy as a click and photo-shop.

In anticipation of the movie, I listened to The Great Gatsby Audiobook.  All the characters, all the wonderful lines from Fitzgeralds book were fresh in my mind.   I was not disappointed.

I loved The Great Gatsby - it was BEAUTIFULLY done.  (Although, I didn't think 3D was necessary).  The people;  the makeup; the clothing and the GORGEOUS Tiffany jewels which hung from every perfect neck and adorned every slender finger - would make any girl jealous.

The sets - the locations - Baz Luhrman did a wonderful tribute to the novel. I want to fly to Australia and take a Great Gatsby tour - anyone care to join me?

This film adaptation started a little slow for me - I was already writing my disappointing review, when Gatsby turned his face towards me (I mean the camera) that first time.  I felt as though I was standing on the dock with him and my life was forever changed.  The screen got brighter - everything came to life.  Leonardo De Caprio nailed it.  And he never once wavered. Carey Mulligan as the adored Daisy was spot-on. 

When I heard who was producing the soundtrack, I was hesitant. I am not a Jay-Z fan - and who is Lana Del Ray? I was being a fool - the soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in a long time.  I LOVED IT.  One of the things my daughter (thatiswhatsheread.blogspot.com) loved was how completely still and shadowed everything seemed to be when the focus was on Gatsby & Daisy and their love for each other.  The music would fade, the colors seemed to mute - it was just a wonderful effect - you truly got lost in the moment.


The most romantic lines from the book - brought brilliantly to life on the screen were these:

"He could climb to it if he climbed alone....his heart beat faster and faster as Daisy's white face came up to his own.  He knew that when he kissed this girl,  his mind would never romp again...so he waited...then he kissed her...at his lips touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete."

"He talked a lot about the past and I gathered that he wanted to recover something - some idea of himself that had gone into loving Daisy - his life had been confused and disordered since then but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly he could find out what that thing was."

This movie was beautiful, is was authentic, and it will not disappoint.  And I recommend buying the soundtrack too.


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