Pop Culture Corner

The Great GatsbyDirected by Baz LuhrmannStarring: Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey MulliganAs the school year comes to a close, movie theaters are gearing up for the summer movie lineup. The name on everyone’s lips most recently has been the same as the name on the lips of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fictional socialites of the 1920’s: Gatsby. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of the classic novel acts as a turning point between the early spring movie theater doldrums and the heat of the summer box office. If anything, Gatsby did this job well.Luhrmann’s directorial work (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) is famous for its over-the-top absurdity, a seemingly perfect match for this story of excess, luxury, and class. The strengths of this film lie in the extravagance. Everyone wants to see flappers in sparkling outfits and Gatsby’s infamous parties. That’s what people love about the 20’s. The other biggest strength of the film was the music. Some argue that the modern twist is "unrealistic" and they are totally right. But to that I say: do you really want to see the same thing over and over again? There are six Gatsby adaptations in existence. If you want classic, you should check out one of the others and let Baz and Jay-Z have their fun. (I recommend the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, screenplay adapted by Francis Ford Coppola).That said, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy this movie. I read, harknessed, and loved The Great Gatsby during my upper fall. Sitting in the movie theater on Friday night, I was immediately annoyed. The wonderful metaphors and language of the book had been lost in translation to the screen (a sign of a poor screenwriter, in my opinion). This movie was made to bust blocks and break box office records, and with those goals in mind, content was pushed aside. Lines often spoon-fed key ideas and metaphors ("The eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg watch over you like the eyes of God!"),which just frustrated me. It’s often difficult to watch the movie version of a book you’ve fallen in love with, but with lower-grade novels like Twilight or the Hunger Games, the loss is not that significant. When dealing with an F. Scott Fitzgerald masterpiece, the stakes are much higher.This movie was made for two types of people: the type that has never read and will never read the book, and the type that read and didn’t understand the book. This will be especially helpful to those who weren’t quite able to crack the novel’s code, as it explains very clearly each and every significant metaphor presented, from Dr. Eckleburg to the green light. In many ways, Luhrmann’s rendition of Gatsby seemed to resemble a would-be "Great Gatsby for Dummies."