Your RDA of Irony

The Great Gimmick

‘Great Gatsby’ to be Filmed in 3-D

Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel will begin filming at Fox Studios  in August.  The film will star Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby; Carey Mulligan  is expected to play the role of Daisy Buchanan, the article said.

Hollywood usually adapts novels to 1-D.  Of course, when you are trying to condense “The Brothers Karamazov”  to two hours, it might as well be the rollicking adolescent adventures of a jock, a nerd and a goody-two-shoes. (The Grand Inquisitor is now the examiner for the driver’s license test.)  So I am amazed at the thought of a 3-D “Great Gatsby”; I am guessing that it will be marketed with a new video game “Great Theft Auto:  East Egg.”  See how many times you can run over Myrtle Wilson!

But, Old Sport, through the engrossing wonders of 3-D, the viewer will be absorbed by the film.  Welcome to the Jazz Age.  (Remember, Zelda and Cole are only flirting with you.  Gertrude isn’t, and you don’t dare turn her down.)  Of course, you will be at the mercy of the camera’s angles and the director’s quirks.  So you could be either a soused patrician or Tom Buchanan’s polo pony.

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past“.  Thanks to 3-D, we’ll also get seasick.

  1. tsitrian says:

    Seems an improbable Daisy Buchanan to me, but as the era’s reigning minstrel Cole P. would have put it, anything goes.

  2. tsitrian says:

    I’d be ducking out of the way with each close up.

    • Eugene Finerman says:

      Sprockets,

      Just be grateful that this won’t be a sequel. Let’s imagine that Meyer Wolfsheim’s son Sidney turns out to be a doctor–who saves Gatsby. Than you can have the cast of the ’71 cast in this film. They are still alive and ambulatory–although one uses the most ridiculous hair dye (but let’s not pick on Mr. Redford).

      I remember one of the feature stories related to the ’71 production. Bruce Dern, playing Tom Buchanan, had long been typecast as white trash villains. In fact, he is a Patrician from Chicago’s poshest suburbs and an Ivy League graduate. So when he was cast as Buchanan, an article had the headline “Bruce Dern Finally Plays Himself.”

    • tsitrian says:

      Good Q–I busted out laughing. Can’t believe I’m such a boob. On consideration, it’s good my line of thinking got nipped in the bud.

  3. Tony H says:

    “Carey Mulligan has no confidence in her driving skills and was “terrified” when she was forced to finally obtain her license for new film Never Let Me Go.”

    Sounds like perfect casting. It’s the director you should worry about. I liked “Romeo and Juliet” but “Moulin Rouge” – awful!

    • Eugene Finerman says:

      Tony,

      So Ms. Mulligan won’t need a stunt driver to run over Myrtle Wilson. I know that the actress is in her mid-twenties but she looks ten years younger. Shouldn’t she be cast in a remake of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”? (What would be the British equivalent be: “Fast Times at Wolfson College”?

      Regarding Buz Luhrman’s work, I enjoyed “Moulin Rouge” and disliked his “Romeo and Juliet”.

      Eugene

  4. Nancy says:

    Okay, nothing esoteric here, just nausea. OMG!!!

  5. Eugene Finerman says:

    Update: the role of Meyer Wolfsheim is played by Amitabh Bachchan. I had no idea that Yiddish and Hindi were so easily confused. Oy veda?

    Oh well, Sam Jaffe played Gunga Din, so now we are even.

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