A similar thing happened with Gravity (however, that film tested worse and Warner Bros. actually did provide the money to finish its effects).
Sorry to sidetrack a bit, but the only reason they are releasing Gravity later this year, rather than anytime sooner, is because they want to time the release close to Oscars season & give it a strong chance of getting a visual effects nomination.
Completing the film may have required more money from Warner Brothers, however the film's release date has more to do with the awards season than a troubled production or overwhelmingly negative test screening. Yes, they did make some changes due to test audience reactions, & the production did go on longer than people expected, but there is a larger agenda with regards to awards & nominations.
Film productions are always modifying & extending their deadlines, not every film that goes on longer than expected or requires more money means the film is in trouble.
I had already decided that the Jay Z factor was enough to keep me away along with my preference for the 1974 version. However, in looking through the trailers and the various clips that have been all over the web and TV, I can say another reason is the choice of Carrie Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. Don't get me wrong, I think she is adorable and a wonderful actress. I found her amazing in An Education and Never Let Me Go. I just did not find her ethereal and appealing in the clips I saw. I know she is not playing to the Mia Farrow version but the emotion she presents just left me cold. I think a better choice would have been Michelle Williams. Yes, they have the same look, but the look is not my issue. I think Michelle Williams would have been able to bring the demure demeanor to the character of Daisy along with the almost magical spell that she has always had on Gatsby. Have not seen the movie, won't see the movie but just my opinion.
Three hip hop songs in the film? Glad I decided to skip it. I don't know if I could stand it.
The one PROPER rap song is Jay-Z's song new song and I will admit it doesn't work but it doesn't really detract all things considered. It was created for the film though.
The other songs used in the film along these lines is the slick cover of Amy Winehouse' BACK TO BLACK which is very sexy and well used and really added a new life to that song. I also loved Jack White's LOVE IS BLINDNESS from U2.
NO CHURCH IN THE WILD is also used and this Kanye West and Jay-Z was in the trailers so I've kind of had it linked with the film...others feel free to disagree but it worked for me but I will be fair...I've always loved this track.
YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL by Lana Del Rey is fantastic and I cannot say enough good things.
As others have noted the speak easy songs and party work well and are done in period style but that all being said... ALL THE MUSIC WORKS!
You either like it or don't and much like ROMEO+JULIET and MOULIN ROUGE! before it, these are films that filled with music from all decades and style from all over so really the film has no PERIOD any more then ROMEO+JULIET had a period considering there were guns and cars and upbeat disco hits and music from Prince while all spoke Shakespearean and had titles or Lord and Lady.
Unlike say MARIE ANTOINETTE or INGLORIOUS BASTARDS where if the songs had be replaced by a lush score from DARIO MARIONELLI or a rousing military score from ALEXANDRE DESPLAT none of us would be the wiser to the changes in both those films but no other approach to THE GREAT GATSBY could work considering how big, bold, grand, and over style the movie is from the costumes to the camera work to well.. all of it.
I for one like Baz Lurhman's films because they aren't like anyone else and I consider his fillms event films the way I consider Wes Anderson's films event in that I will get to see a marriage of film and music from tracks I may not know or would know of. Tarantino holds a spot for this as well in my heart.
As for the film... its good but yes, not great.
I enjoyed the Redford and Farrow version but I honestly felt while that film got most of the story on the screen, it left out the SOUL while this 2013 version nailed the themes I felt it played up some rather odd moments [cool shirts, the green light] and then made some key moments upped in dramatic effect even though they were already moments of conflict and while I loved the score, it was almost too LUSH and almost distracting in that I felt it demanded it owns listen RIGHT NOW... the last time I saw a film with a score so beautiful I almost left the film to hear it on its own was LET ME IN [awful film, AWESOME score].
I don't know why I felt it was going to be more serious but I think another viewing know now what it is will allow me to enjoy it more.
I wouldn't skip the film unless you've absolutely hated all of BZ's other films for being fast and louse with musical choices.
For all of its visual, sound and editing flamboyance, the scene from TGG which I keep remembering the most is a quiet, moody sequence in which Gatsby and Nick chat outside at the end of a party. The dark blue night, the mess all around them left over from the bash, the inky black water, the green light from across the sound blinking on and off - it's one of the most beautiful atmospheric scenes I've seen for quite some time.
I really enjoyed the film. The world created here is rather amazing. If you like the sort of whimsical over-the-top feel that Moulin Rouge has with cameras darting between sumptuous sets and CGI cityscape flyovers, Luhrmann has turned it up to 11 here. His crazy editing only brought attention to itself early in the film and then simmered down a bit after that. I didn't see it in 3D, but it had some obvious gimmicky shots and oddly forced depth of field tricks that were clearly brought in for 3D. (I can't wait for this silly 3D fad to go away, it's making films look even more unnatural than they did before.)
For the music, I thought the hip hop actually fit in surprisingly well for party scenes. (Though I was happy to hear it stop and be replaced with Rhapsody in Blue.) Lana Del Rey's song though, wow, that is great! When I first heard it in a TV ad for this film it made me stop and listen to it. I didn't realize it was created for this movie. It weaves into the film a bit like "Your Song" did in Moulin Rouge.
I'll agree that Mulligan is miscast. Gatsby is going this insane over this Daisy Buchanan? I just don't see it. Also the entire Jordan Baker role is minimized, which was probably the most disappointing change from the book. I'm not entirely sure why the critics were so split on this one. Yes, the book is certainly more subtle, but this is a movie by Baz Luhrmann that we're talking about. Did these people seriously expect subtle?! The brashness of it all seems so appropriate for the roaring '20s.
I've never really connected with Baz Luhrman on a personal level, but I've always saluted his 'project', if you could call it that. A very postmodern approach to filmmaking. If I'm going to see this, it's not because of Luhrman, but because of the Jay Z connection. That actually excited me. More unconventional stuff like this!
The film is a big letdown imho, save for DiCaprio's very fine performance.
On the music side, after all the JayZ and rock/pop artist talk in the media, I was surprised to observe that Craig Armstrong's orchestral score is much prominent. I particularly liked the violin piece that ends the film.
I saw this film in 3D this afternoon. Really enjoyed it and was pleased that ,despite all the attention on the songs, Craig Armstrong's score is still very much in evidence and makes a very positive contribution to the the film. The Jay Z songs were OK, didn't wreck the film.
Y'know who should have taken a shot at the scoring? Bryan Ferry. Really.
He did:
Well, that's the damnedest thing! When I made my comment, it was more in reference to the fact that Ferry has, for the better part of 40 years, been basing his whole musical persona on a Gatsby-esque character. And doing it quite well, I might add.
From the video I get the impression that Baz L was not previously familiar with this fact, which seems odd to me.
I wonder if that could be the only reason, though. Did anyone else notice any references in this film to "Citizen Kane"?
I notice the problem a lot in 3D films. I wonder if the actual recorded image actually has a great depth to it, but in post they put a fake brokeh in to force the eye to look at something specific. It just doesn't look natural to me.
Just got back from the film. Complete waste of money. One of my dear friends wanted to see this and talked me into viewing it. She was even disappointed. The Jay Z songs where in wrong movie. score what I remember was OK Armstrong. Glad we were able to get into the matinee, because I did not think I would have wanted to pay double to see it. Leonardo C was good, not as great as I have heard. Still prefer Redford version.
The film is a big letdown imho, save for DiCaprio's very fine performance.
On the music side, after all the JayZ and rock/pop artist talk in the media, I was surprised to observe that Craig Armstrong's orchestral score is much prominent. I particularly liked the violin piece that ends the film.
I loved the movie. The music was perfect in my opinion, a couple of my friends thought it was out of place but I found it to be spot on. As stated before it really complemented well the party scenes. I loved Armstrong's score and really hope it gets a release. Young & beautiful is well, just that... beautiful.
Could someone tell me how many original songs were written for this movie? It seems a couple.
