Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • May 22, 2013 DiCaprio, Mulligan embody Fitzgerald characters by Dennis Seuling “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most celebrated novel, has been adapted for the big screen four times and once for television. The latest movie version, directed by Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge,” “Strictly Ballroom”), is a lavish spectacle showcasing the wild excesses and moral lapses of the Jazz Age that tells the stories of characters whose paths cross -- some by choice, others by chance -- with melodramatic results. Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is a newcomer to New York who rents a cottage in West Egg -- Fitzgerald’s fictional stand-in for Long Island -- adjoining the massive mansion owned by the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Gatsby’s estate is a place where politicians, athletes, movie stars, and the idle rich assemble for extravagant parties. Nick’s cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), lives across the bay from Gatsby with her husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton). Gatsby befriends Nick and confides that he throws such lavish parties in the hope that, Daisy will show up at one of them. Gatsby and Daisy knew each other once and Gatsby is intent on rekindling a romance that never flourished. Back in 1974, the Robert Redford version of “The Great Gatsby” was hyped for months prior to its release. Redford was the biggest star in Hollywood at the time, the supporting cast was luminous, and much was expected from the script by Francis Ford Coppola. But the film turned out dull and lifeless. None of the preceding efforts was well received, either. The current film is a pleasant surprise. Luhrmann has managed to do many things right, starting with the casting. The role of Gatsby requires a movie star, and DiCaprio is certainly that. He knows how it feels to be the center of attention, so he is a natural for the role and brings the full luster of his stardom to the outsider whose aura of mystery and entrepreneurial gains make him fascinating to women and admired by men. Earlier versions sapped the life out of the character, making Gatsby a symbol of an era, a lifestyle, and an ideal. DiCaprio conveys a real human being with passions and desires so powerful they make Gatsby blasé toward the wild times around him. They serve as mere background meant to attract the attention of the woman he covets. That woman, Daisy, is beautifully embodied by Mulligan. Born into wealth and luxuriating in it her entire life, Daisy differs markedly from Gatsby. She has married into even more wealth to a man she may not love. During Daisy’s reintroduction to Gatsby, she is initially surprised to see him after many years, tentative, but ultimately quite chatty. Gatsby sees Daisy as being on Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) shares an intimate moment with Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) in ‘The Great Gatsby.’ a pedestal and doesn’t know quite how to approach her, particularly since she is married. Mulligan plays Daisy just right. She is not the typical flapper. She exudes class and breeding, yet fits in with the fashion of the time. Maguire’s Nick is the film’s narrator, as he is in the book. Nick’s impression of Gatsby is the first one the audience gets. This colors viewers’ impression of him, piquing interest. Nick, the passive observer of a world of glitter and excess, is a writer. A few sequences show him writing his thoughts, the words actually appearing on screen and then fading. Sometimes jumbled letters tumble out of his typewriter. This method of depicting a writer at work -- not inherently cinematic -- makes clever use of the movie’s 3D technology. As Tom, Joel Edgerton creates an imposing character. Luhrmann films him frequently in close-up and it is easy to read his thoughts: resentment of Gatsby, suspicion, (continued on Crossword page)