The Great Gatsby and sleeping pills

This will come as no surprise to those who know me. 2013 will bring us finally the long awaited film adaptation of  F Scott Fitzgerald's classic 1920's novel. This will be the first true film adaptation sine the flawed yet much loved 1974 version starring Redford and Farrow. The 1974 film despite being much beloved doesn't give one the flavor of the 1920's in the way which the novel does, and despite strong performances from it's leads, fails to create the emotional attachment that we feel in the novel.

My excitement for the upcoming film is mainly due to its director; Australian Baz Luhrmann, director of Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, Luhrmann is a ludicrously stylistic director, who is known for using contemporary music in period films; this is apparent even in the trailer for the film, in which the Jack White cover of U2's love is blindness is used, perfect for describing the twisted love story between the two main characters. Another hallmark of a Baz Luhrmann movie is color; this is especially apparent in 2001's Moulin Rouge, this perhaps also explains why i expect this adaptation to succeed the original, is that i feel it will give audiences a real flavor of an era, and the trailer certainly shows a dizzying sumptuous romanticism, infusing the film with color and life.

Another contentious point of the film is the casting; the actors in the 1974 version are much loved, however here again i feel that the casting of this version is more appropriate; Leo Dicaprio plays the lead role of Jay Gatsby, and will hopefully finally win an Oscar, and Carey Mulligan as Daisy. The two trailers which have been released are very exciting, and i await this coming may with anticipation, hopefully the film will exceed all expectations, and will become a classic film in the already impressive Baz Luhrmann canon.

Trailer Rating: A+