“The Great Gatsby,” directed by Baz Luhrmann, came out in 3D in may of 2013. This movie was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel also called The Great Gatsby. Nick Carraway (Tobey Macguire), a Midwestern man moves to New York during the roaring 20’s. Nick finds himself next door to the well-known Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and across the bay from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan). He immediately finds himself drawn into their world full of luxury, romance and lies. He recalls what he experienced at that time and thus narrates the story of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. It is a dramatic love story with many twists and surprises that ends tragically. 

Jay Gatsby is a hopeless romantic who holds on to the romance he once had with Daisy. The mansion, luxury, and up-roaring parties are all for her. However; it is all an illusion. Daisy is married and Gatsby isn’t actually rich. A symbolism of his wealth can be seen when Gatsby tosses all of his dress shirts while he is with Daisy. The fact that his shirts were all different colors showed that he isn’t part of the wealthy. Back then, it was known that the rich solely wore basic colors such as white and blue. Jay was thought to be an ideal man meanwhile he was a bootlegger which in a way depicted the business during the 1920’s. He also reveals to his new found friend Nick that he changed his original name, James Gatz, to Jay Gatsby. He does so because the name sounds typically European and he therefore does not want people to know that he is newly rich. During that time immigrants were not accepted by the upper class. This also shows that only the rich were considered important, the rest simply blended in with the rest of society.

Leonardo DiCaprio,  an award-winning actor and a three-time Academy Award nominee is the perfect actor to take on the role of the intriguing protagonist Jay Gatsby. Leonardo naturally fits into Gatsby’s charm and mysterious ways. Leonardo and Gatsby come together as one to appeal to the female viewers. The accent and phrases he uses in this film such as “old sport” is exceptionally charming as well.    Having originally captured many hearts in the well known film “The Titanic,” Leonardo DiCaprio finds yet another tragic romance suitable for his acting.

Carey Mulligan’s portrayal of Daisy Buchanan is particularly accurate with regards to the source material. She is portrayed as lively and a desirable woman. This can be seen when she is first introduced, as she is laughing and surrounded by white curtains flowing in the wind. From that scene alone, Daisy’s wealth is portrayed. Aside from living in a luxurious mansion, she dresses in head turning dresses along with eye catching accessories such as her wedding ring. Daisy loves her husband, yet still sneaks around with Jay Gatsby. It is clear that Gatsby would do just about anything for her, unlike her husband who constantly cheats on her. This also depicts what was more common and acceptable back in the day.

Every movie needs musical accomplice to set the mood. In this film, the music was exceptionally correspondent to the scenes. It fit perfectly with the 1920’s modernized theme.  For example, the song “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” by Fergie sets an uplifting party mood. That song is played during one of Gatsby’s lavishing parties which he throws in hopes of seeing daisy attend one day. Another all time favorite is the song “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey. This makes the viewer wonder if Jay actually loves Daisy or if he is simply obsessed. Visually striking party scenes set to this music illustrate the lavish and soulless party life that Jay Gatsby has designed for himself, all in an effort lure Daisy Buchanan away from her husband. The scenes between Jay and Daisy use subtle love themes, which stand in stark contrast to the hip-hop infused big band and swing music used during the party scenes.

This movie is the perfect love story which also depicts the time period with a modern twist. This movie is clearly a tragedy for many reasons. For one, Daisy’s and Gatsby’s love story is unfortunate since Jay holds on to the love they shared before departing for the war. Daisy cannot be with him since she is married. When Jay gets shot for something he did not do, Luhrmann  visualizes that Jay would literally die for Daisy. Perhaps the real tragedy was not the death; perhaps it was their actual lives. They lived in a world full of deception, heartbreak, and illusion and devoid of genuinely healthy love. Overall, this movie was very entertaining, with many themes and meanings that make the viewer consider aspects of life and love. I give “The Great Gatsby” 5 stars and would definitely recommend this movie to everyone.