Gatsby..

Just watched The Great Gatsby. The movie is based on a very famous novel by F.Scott Fitzgerald, apparently this novel serves as an important part of the high school curriculum in the US. Since I haven't read the book I was curious about what makes the book so important, therefore was really looking forward to watching the movie; plus the cast is so amazing that it didn't seem like a movie that should be missed.

The movie is a love story set in New York, it reflects the kind of changes America as a country was undergoing in the 1920s. It was a time when America was in the process of becoming a superpower (roaring twenties, as they say it). The lifestyle of the people was changing--there were fancy parties, liquor and LOT of money! Ofcourse things have changed tremendously since then, but American dream till this date esp. for many people outside of the US is somewhat along the lines with how the lifestyle was in the 1920s.

In the movie, although Leonardo is being touted as the best actor, personally I felt Toby clearly foreshadowed everyone by his acting. Gatsby is supposed to be a great character, he was almost like God, but his greatness was realized not in Leonardo's acting but in Nick's (Toby Maguire)  narration and acting. Toby did an amazing job at playing his role and in showing how challenging a position it was for 'Nick Carraway' to be a confidant to his cousin ('Daisy' Carey Mulligan), his brother in-law and Gatsby too. The frustration, anger and innocence that he portrayed in his character seemed very natural.

One of the other things about the movie that struck me the most was the status of women in that era. I remember a dialogue of Daisy, she says that 'women are foolish, they are beautiful and foolish'. Although she said this dialogue in the first 10 mins of the movie, but it made more sense towards the end. It was apparent that in that era women didn't have a significant role to play. They were pretty much objects of entertainment for men, and even women seemed accepting of that ideology. Being from outside of the US, it is interesting for me to notice that historically women have been underestimated and undermined not just in India but in other parts of the world too and I wonder at the amount of struggle that might have undergone for women to gain respect and status in the society....think it's really incredible!

The love story in the movie was very strong, it makes one question how can one love someone SO MUCH!
Also, I mustn't forget to mention how much I liked the OST of the movie, particularly 'Young and Beautiful' by Lana Del Rey (Link to the song). The song says so much about the story of the movie, the haunting melody and the lyrics of the song captivated me to an extent that I kept thinking of the movie for a long time even after it got over.