Coyote Chronicle CSUSB

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Baz Luhrmann gives The Great Gatsby a modern makeover

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By Shannon Luster |Staff Writer|

“The Great Gatsby” draws viewers with such realistic looking special effects that it places you into the wondrous, dangerous world of millionaire Jay Gatsby.

Although it faced stiff competition with “Iron Man 3” at the box office, “The Great Gatsby” managed to open at number two and earned $51.1 million in its opening weekend, according to the IMDb Charts.

Producer, writer and director Baz Luhrmann, director of movies like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge,” has returned with his take on the novel, “The Great Gatsby.”

Traces of “Romeo and Juliet” also showed up in “The Great Gatsby,” since both movies revolved around a pair of lovers becoming embroiled in passionate and socially unacceptable, romantic relationships.

“The Great Gatsby,” based on the book written by author F. Scott Fitzgerald, has arrived to the silver screen once again in a more modern, updated version.

The 1974 version starring actors Robert Redford and Mia Farrow is one of the more well known versions.

In the latest installment centering around Gatsby and recently released on May 10, DiCaprio stepped in as the title role.

This movie also starred Tobey Maguire as the all-around-good-guy Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as the beautiful-but-conflicted Daisy Buchanan.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in "The Great Gatsby." Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in “The Great Gatsby.” Courtesy of Warner Bros.

DiCaprio and Mulligan provided some of the most emotionally charged scenes during the movie especially when Daisy and Jay tried to move past their problems and reconnect again.

“DiCaprio captured the essence of Gatsby,” said student Wesley Davenport, adding that DiCaprio successfully showed Gatsby’s vulnerability, undergoing a realistic transformation.

Actors Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, and Elizabeth Debicki also rounded out the cast.

Sporting a strong cast, their acting was at their strongest during the group scenes, revealing hidden secrets that may surprise some viewers.

The cast will ultimately seduce you into their world, a compliment to their acting skills.

You will forget you are sitting in a darkened theater watching a movie, and you will be drawn into the film’s intrigue and violence.

Many elements – like the editing, the music, the costumes, and the set design – also worked together in harmony, enhancing both the realness and richness of the movie for the viewers.

Editors Jason Ballantine, Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa also chose the best moments to end and start new scenes, moving the story along and also emphasized the drama.

Musician Craig Armstrong, writer of the original music, captured the glitz, glamour, and danger of the world of the rich and powerful by interweaving the music together during the movie at the most dramatic moments, which reflected the excitement too.

The contemporary music superimposed with 1920s music was also a strong point of the movie, according to student Chris Burns.

“The Great Gatsby” incorporated some songs from popular musicians like Jay-Z and Beyonce, an interesting and fun fact.

Costume designer Catherine Martin also helped create our glimpse into the world of the wealthy through the lavish costumes, especially actress Mulligan’s outfits that were often flowing with lace, flowers, and jewels.

Set decorator Beverley Dunn also contributed to making this world look so real that you feel transported out of your theater seat and entered into the movie.

Each scene created a visual masterpiece that will leave you breathless and waiting with eager anticipation to see what happens next.

For these reasons and more, “The Great Gatsby” proved to be a great movie. Catch this adaption at a theater near you!

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