I know that I am not the only one who has been eagerly waiting for the trailer to Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the great American classic novel The Great Gatsby. I’ve been publicly pleading for a new adaptation that would relieve me of the bitter taste left by Robert Redford’s bland 1974 version since 2007 (amusingly, at the time I recommended Leonardo DiCaprio, who is playing Jay Gatsby, for the part of Nick Carraway and someone like Robert Downey Jr. for the role of Gatsby).
I knew coming in that Baz would put his signature flair on the film – and I was okay with that. I’ve always imagined something stylish, something completely distinct from the novel unlike the ’74 film, yet still effectively touching on the same themes that made the 16 year old me fall in love with the novel a decade ago.
Now, for the trailer: Tobey Maguire doesn’t do much for me. The voice of Nick Carraway drove the novel, so the voiceover is no surprise, but there has always been something so bland about Tobey – although then again, maybe that is what they need for a character such as Carraway. I’m also not necessarily digging the Kanye/Jay-Z thing the trailer has going on – although I completely expected something along these lines considering this is a Baz Luhrmann film. The Jack White U2 cover, on the other hand, was an interesting touch, even if I had hoped for something a little more jazzy in there somewhere, anywhere, considering this is adapting the quintessential Jazz Age novel. Where the film will shine and what I think will carry the film will be the interaction between DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan (who plays Daisy Buchanan, a former love), as the tension we see in just the few moments of their screen time is enough to turn one’s stomach.
What are your thoughts on the trailer for Baz’s adaptation? Too much style? Too modern? Too Tobey? Or do you think the film is going to rock your world? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
