“The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).
It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
The Great Gatsby is an Australian-American 3D drama film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same name. The film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Elizabeth Debicki. It follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his neighbor Nick, who recounts his encounter with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties.
The film was originally going to be released on December 25, 2012, but moved to May 10, 2013 in 3D. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, audiences responded much more positively, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s granddaughter praised the film, stating “Scott would have been proud”. As of 2014, it is Baz Luhrmann’s highest grossing film to date, earning over $350 million worldwide. At the 86th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design, winning both.
About the Story (2013)
In the winter of 1929, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a Yale University graduate and World War I veteran, is staying at a sanatorium to treat his alcoholism. He talks about Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), describing him as the most hopeful man he had ever met. When he struggles to articulate his thoughts, his doctor, Walter Perkins (Jack Thompson), suggests writing it down, since writing is Nick’s true passion.
In the summer of 1922, Nick moves from the U.S. Midwest to New York taking a job as bond salesman after abandoning writing. He rents a small house on Long Island in the (fictional) village of West Egg, next door a lavish mansion belonging to Jay Gatsby, a mysterious business magnate who often holds extravagant parties. One day, Nick drives across the bay to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan), and her husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton), a college acquaintance of Nick’s. They introduce Nick to Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki), a cynical young golfer with whom Daisy wishes to couple Nick.
Jordan tells Nick that Tom has a mistress who lives in the “valley of ashes,” an industrial dumping ground between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this revelation, Nick travels with Tom to the valley, where they stop by a garage owned by George Wilson (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Myrtle (Isla Fisher), who is Tom’s lover that Jordan mentioned. Nick accompanies Tom and Myrtle to an apartment they keep for their affair. Myrtle throws a vulgar and bizarre party with her sister Catherine (Adelaide Clemens), that ends with Tom breaking Myrtle’s nose as she taunts him about Daisy.
As the summer progresses, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby’s parties. Upon arriving, he learns that he is the only one who received an invitation, and that none of the guests have ever met Gatsby. There are multiple theories as to who he is: a German spy, a prince, even an assassin. Nick encounters Jordan, and they meet Gatsby, who is surprisingly young and rather aloof. Gatsby’s butler later informs Jordan that Gatsby wishes to speak with her privately.
Gatsby seemingly takes a liking to Nick, inviting him out on numerous occasions. Gatsby introduces him to Meyer Wolfshiem (Amitabh Bachchan), a gambler Gatsby claims fixed the 1919 World Series. Gatsby tells Nick he was born to wealthy parents who have since passed away. During their lunch, they run into Tom Buchanan. Gatsby appears uncomfortable throughout the exchange. Jordan later tells Nick that Gatsby had a relationship with Daisy five years earlier, and is still in love with her. Gatsby had been throwing the extravagant parties in the hopes Daisy will attend. Gatsby later asks Nick to invite Daisy to tea at his house, without mentioning that Gatsby will be there.
After an awkward reunion, Gatsby and Daisy begin an affair. Gatsby is rather dismayed that Daisy wants to run away from New York with him, as his initial plan being for them was to live in his mansion. Nick tries to explain to Gatsby that the past cannot be repeated, but he dismisses the remark. Trying to keep the affair a secret, Gatsby fires the majority of his servants and discontinues the parties. Eventually, he phones Nick and asks that he and Jordan accompany him to the Buchanan’s’, where they plan to tell Tom that Daisy is leaving him. Nick is hesitant, but Gatsby insists they need him.
Filming The Great Gatsby (2013)
The Great Gatsby was planned to be filmed in the New York City area where the novel is set, starting in June 2011. The director instead opted to shoot principal photography in Sydney. Filming began on September 5, 2011, at Fox Studios Australia and finished on December 22, 2011, with additional shots filmed in January 2012. The film was shot with Red Epic digital cameras and Zeiss Ultra Prime lenses. Originally scheduled for a December 2012 release, on August 6, 2012, it was reported that the film was being moved to a summer 2013 release date. In September 2012, this date was confirmed to be May 10, 2013. The film opened the 66th Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2013, shortly following its wide release in RealD 3D and 2D formats.
In creating the background scenery for the world depicted in the film, designer Catherine Martin stated that the team styled the interior sets of Jay Gatsby’s mansion with gilded opulence, in a style that blended establishment taste with Art Deco. The long-destroyed Beacon Towers, thought by scholars to have partially inspired Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby estate, was used as a main inspiration for Gatsby’s home in the film. The filming for the exterior of Jay Gatsby’s mansion was the college building of the International College of Management, Sydney, Some inspiration was also drawn from other Gold Coast, Long Island mansions, including Oheka Castle and La Selva Mansion. Features evoking the Long Island mansions were added in post-production.
The inspiration for the film version of the Buchanan estate came from Old Westbury Gardens. The mansion exterior was built on a soundstage, with digital enhancements added. The interior sets for the Buchanan mansion were inspired by the style of Hollywood Regency.
The home of Nick Carraway was conceived as an intimate cottage, in contrast with the grandeur of the neighboring Gatsby mansion. Objects chosen adhered to a central theme of what the designers saw as classic Long Island. The architecture conjures American Arts and Crafts, with Gustav Stickley-type furnishings inside and an Adirondack-style swing out.
The opening scene was filmed from Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Unit in Concord, Sydney, only a few kilometres from Sydney 2000 Olympic Stadium.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Debicki, Adelaide Clemens
Screenplay by: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce
Production Design by: Catherine Martin
Production Design by: Simon Duggan
Film Editing by: Jason Ballantine, Jonathan Redmond, Matt Villa
Costume Design by: Catherine Martin
Set Decoration by: Beverley Dunn
Music by: Craig Armstrong
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language.
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: May 10, 2013
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