Gatsby: Great Book, but Even Greater Movie?

“The book was better,” is what most people say when films are based on literature. And most of the time they are correct.

But then came “The Great Gatsby,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann’s other films include “Strictly Ballroom” and “Moulin Rouge,” so you sort of know what you’re getting in to when you buy your ticket. A big show, inachronistic elements, music, dance – a very artistic interpretation of the whole nine yards.

I’m not saying the Gatsby movie is better than the book. But it definitely takes a good stab at it.

We all know the classic story written by F. Scot Fitzgerald. It’s about a poor boy, who is in unrequited love with Daisy, a beautiful gal from Kentucky, so he makes it big and throws extravagant parties to win her attention and affection. To this day, the book is considered the all-American novel with the old American Dream running through its core.

Some bad reviews of the movie appeared online. The movie is too stylized they say. Why do the characters listen to rap music? It’s the 1920s.

These are fair criticisms. Some of the party scenes look like they are happening in the Wonderful Land of Oz.

But this is the first Gatsby adaptation that truly captures the feel of the Roaring 20s. F. Scott himself named this era of prohibition “The Jazz Age.” Later, he and his wife Zelda became the two iconic figures of that decade.

I think the over-stylization of Gatsby is one of its strengths. It is the first Gatsby movie that truly captures the feel of prohibition era, when bathtub gin was cheap and plentiful and morals were looser.

Luhrmann chose to use rap music because the 1920s were the modern era. Sure, rap music didn’t come along for decades after Fitzgerald’s famous book. But the music was chosen for its grit and hipness. That’s why it works so well.

If you’re still on the fence about seeing Gatsby, especially after reading some less-than-stellar reviews online, let me put your mind at ease.

With so many great summer blockbusters at the theaters, like “Star Trek Into Darkness” and “Iron Man III,” why is this Gatsby movie, based on a book most of us dreaded reading in 10th grade, doing so well at the box office?

Buy a ticket and prepare to be mesmerized.