The Great Gatsby Movie Review

The Great Gatsby has definitely improved since the last adaptation. I really liked the imagery in this movie. Specifically the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. It was an unsubtle manner they used to introduce Gatsby and his obsession with the green light. In the very first minutes in the movie, the silhouette of Gatsby reaching out for the light makes it easily understood. 
The cinematic aspects of the film make it an overall better experience in my opinion. The bay and the valley of ash look amazing. The images were very immersive. I like how they camera  zooms in on the scene so that it gives the impression that the audience is being thrust into the movie. 
There were many details that were different from the book written by Scott Fitzgerald. The biggest difference, of course, is that Nick Carraway is in a sanitarium. This comes into the ending. The book ends with the famous quote "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly into the past." The movie ends with Nick writing The Great above Gatsby in a flourish. Secondly, Nick and Jordan definitely had a relationship in the book. However, the movie shows that they never really hooked up. Nick was too busy observing Gatsby. Then the obvious difference between the book and the movie is that all racism and anti-semitism has been censored out for obvious reasons. Finally, Gatsby died thinking he won. In the book, Gatsby waited until long after anyone who would have called. However, in the movie, Gatsby was stepping out of the pool when he was shot by George. He was stepping out to answer the phone call that he believed was from Daisy. So Gatsby died believing he was a winner even though dramatic irony tells us that the call was from Nick. 
I personally enjoyed the movie. I don't understand why some critics are giving bad reviews. I know some people are upset with how they used modern day party music at Gatsby's parties but it just fits the setting better. Scott's book felt like it came from a particular age in time but the movie felt like a mixture of all times. Some things that bothered me is how Tom becomes a super villain at the end. He was the one that planted the evil image of Gatsby into George's  head and ultimately convinced him to kill Gatsby. It seems too out of character for Tom to stoop to that act. In conclusion, I think that The Great Gatsby should be taken first in book form, then followed by the movie. It would be hard to understand what is happening if one did not read the book.