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Tom Carney
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
October 22 2014
Ol Reviewing

Not one movie has came close to bring F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece to life. In
2013,Baz Luhrmanns version of The Great Gatsby should make Fitzgerald proud in the way
how Luhrmann related culture fads back then to now. The Great Gatsby taking place in 1922,
narrated by Nick Carraway, the neighbor to a mysterious party throwing millionaire, Jay Gatsby
who no one has met before. Daisy Buchanan who is Nicks cousin is married to filthy rich macho
man Tom Buchanan. Five years ago when Gatsby was a soldier, he was stationed by Daisys
house and they fell in love. After the war Gatsby chooses not to return to Daisy because he was a
penniless soldier. Now he made something out of himself and he bought a house right across the
bay on west egg, Daisy living on east egg .Nick meets Gatsby and is tangled in the love story of
Gatsby and Daisy, during the movie he mentions that he is within and without. Both critics
have different views on The Great Gatsby and they state their opinions and use facts as evidence
but both agree that The Great Gatsby built a bridge from the roaring twenties to now.
Two respectable critics with almost completely different views on the movie were
Wesley Morris and Rick Groen. Although both of the critics give props to The Great Gatsby
credit as it built a bridge from the roaring twenties, with colorful scenes and music that
connected the culture of the morals back then. Morris was very attentive to the the little details of
the scenes while Groen was more broad in his opinion on the entire movie as a whole. He was
nothing but compliments the entire way. Youd expect Luhrmann to give good spectacle,

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although the trailers worrisomely suggest he may have gone over the top. Not the case.(Groen)
Luhrmann is known for being a flamboyant director that uses a lot of colors and pizzazz in his
scenes. That is the case in The Great Gatsby but he controls it and it works out perfectly. Morris,
on the other hand was not as lenient as Groen. Morris criticized the movie way more than he
complimented it. He lets Luhrmann have it when he talks about the colorful scenes That sense
of childlike discovery is the source of Luhrmanns showmanship: Nothing embarrasses him. He
wants to put everything on the screen at the same time(Morris) This could be in a way but
Morris exposes the bad in it. Morris mentions that Luhrmann does not bother to include the affair
between Daisy and her best friend Jordan Baker. But in all movies that are based on books, the
directors pick and choose what to put in them. If every single detail was mentioned in the movie
then the movie would be hours on end.

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Onto the critics views on the actor
who play Jay Gatsby, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Both critics already are aware that
DiCaprio is one of the best actors in
HollyWood. But they have something
else to say about him in The Great
Gatsby. Starting off with Morris, he mentions the other Gatsby films and he says that the other
Gatsby's were portrayed as more manly and tough referring to the 1974 version doing just that.
Back to the 2013 version, Morris mentions that Gatsby(DiCaprio) is too cute to be taken
seriously. Now Groen turn. Its mostly been Moris against the movie, Groen for it. This trend
will continue to happen. Groen starts by explaining the toughness in playing the role of Jay
Gatsby. One must convey the yearning innocence without sacrificing the palpable
menace.(Groen) He praises DiCaprios brilliance in the scene at the Plaza Hotel, it was like a
mini play said Groen. Groen also says that DiCaprio was the best fit to play Jay Gatsby.
Morris was mostly critical of Luhrmann's film. While Groen was nothing but
compliments to Luhrmann's film. No matter what side you are on you must appreciate the effort
of director Baz Luhrmann and all the actors. The visuals in the movie were greatly noticed by
both critics, and how Luhrmann built a bride from the 1920s to now by using culture fads back
then relating them to fads now. The music also was a part in that bridge connecting back then to
now. Despite both critics having completely different opinions on The Great Gatsby, they have
solid evidence that supports their opinions on the movie and sucessfully state their side.

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Works Cited

Groen, Rick. The Great Gatsby: A great adaptation of a great novel (and just shy of a
great film). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/. The Globe and Mail, 10 May 2013. Web.
21 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-great-gatsbya-great-adaptation-of-a-great-novel-and-just-shy-of-a-great-film/article11823125/>.
Morris, Wesley. @TheGreatGatsby! www.Grantland.com. Grantland, 9 May 2013.
Web. 21 Oct. 2014. <http://grantland.com/features/leonardo-dicaprio-insane-new-greatgatsby/>.