The Great Gatsby (2013 film)

The Great Gatsby (2013 film)
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Name	The Great Gatsby
Caption	Theatrical release poster
Director	Baz Luhrmann
Producer	Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Robert Weitman
Based on	The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Starring	Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke
Music	Craig Armstrong, Anton Monstead, Emile Haynie
Cinematography	Simon Duggan
Editing	Jason Ballantine, Matt Villa
Studio	Bazmark Films, Evergreen Media Group, Red Wagon Entertainment
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
Released	May 10, 2013 (Premiere), May 10–25, 2013 (wide)
Runtime	143 minutes
Country	United States, Australia
Language	English
Budget	$105–150 million
Gross	$353.6 million

The Great Gatsby (2013 film) is a 2013 romantic drama directed by Baz Luhrmann, adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan and situates Fitzgerald's narrative within Luhrmann's signature visual and musical style. It blends period production and modern pop influences, featuring lavish set design, costume design, and a contemporary soundtrack.

Plot

The narrative follows Nick Carraway's return from World War I, his relocation to Long Island's West Egg, and his entanglement with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire obsessed with reuniting with Daisy Buchanan; the storyline intersects with figures such as Tom Buchanan and Jordan Baker while exploring themes of wealth, desire, and American aspiration. Nick narrates Gatsby's rise from James Gatz to social prominence through associations with figures like Meyer Wolfsheim, recounting parties that echo Jazz Age scenes associated with Prohibition, Harlem Renaissance, and postwar American excess. The plot culminates in tragic confrontations at the Plaza Hotel and the Valley of Ashes, invoking settings linked to New York City, East Egg, and socialites whose actions mirror tensions in 1920s society. The film concludes with Nick's disillusionment and reflections that echo Fitzgerald's critiques embedded in the novel, framed by sequences that recall motifs found in Lost Generation literature and postwar modernist narratives.

Cast

The principal cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan; supporting roles feature Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan, Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, and Jason Clarke as George Wilson. Other credited performers encompass Elizabeth Debicki, Amitabh Bachchan, Adelaide Clemens, and Charlotte Riley, joining a roster that includes veteran actors noted for roles in productions associated with Baz Luhrmann, Bazmark Films, Warner Bros., or franchise works like The Matrix and The Dark Knight. Casting choices invoked comparisons to previous cinematic adaptations such as those directed by Jack Clayton (1974) and stage treatments influenced by productions at venues like Broadway and the Royal Court Theatre.

Production

Development began when Baz Luhrmann secured adaptation rights and collaborated with screenwriter Craig Pearce; producers included Catherine Martin and Douglas Wick, consolidating experience from projects tied to Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, and studio collaborations with Warner Bros. Pictures. Preproduction emphasized period research into 1920s architecture, costume, and automobile design, engaging artisans linked to houses like Chanel, Prada, and ateliers referenced in fashion histories associated with Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Principal photography occurred in Sydney and at locations replicated to evoke Long Island, with cinematographer Simon Duggan employing digital cameras and lenses reflective of techniques used in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974 film) and contemporary digital productions like Avatar. Production design by Catherine Martin and set construction involved craftspeople experienced on large-scale productions associated with The Lord of the Rings and Australia (2008 film), while visual effects teams included vendors known for work on Inception and The Matrix Revolutions.

Music and Soundtrack

The soundtrack, curated by Jay-Z with music produced by Craig Armstrong, Emile Haynie, and Anton Monstead, juxtaposes contemporary artists including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine, and will.i.am with period jazz compositions by performers in the vein of Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith. The score blends orchestral arrangements reminiscent of Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin with modern hip-hop and electronic production techniques linked to studios that serviced projects for Kanye West and Dr. Dre. Tracks like Beyoncé's reworking of standards and Jay-Z's overture sought to bridge Fitzgerald's Jazz Age with 21st-century popular music industries associated with labels such as Roc Nation and Universal Music Group.

Release and Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures distributed the film, premiering at the Sydney Opera House and holding a global rollout coordinated with marketing partners including fashion houses, luxury brands, and social media platforms tied to companies like Twitter and Facebook. The film opened domestically on May 10, 2013, and grossed over $350 million worldwide, outperforming several summer releases from studios such as Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox during the 2013 box office season. Its financial performance prompted analysis in trade publications and box-office reports alongside contemporaneous releases like Iron Man 3 and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Reception and Legacy

Critical reception was polarized: some critics praised Luhrmann's visual virtuosity, costume work by Catherine Martin, and DiCaprio's performance, while others criticized the adaptation's tonal choices and use of modern music. The film received nominations and awards from institutions like the Academy Awards, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Golden Globe Awards, notably winning Oscars for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Its cultural impact influenced subsequent period films that integrated contemporary soundtracks, cited alongside works by directors such as Baz Luhrmann, Bazmark Films collaborators, and music supervisors who later worked on films like A Single Man and The Great Gatsby (1974 film). Scholarly discussion situated the film within adaptations studies, comparative literature, and film music scholarship, linking it to debates around fidelity to source texts by authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and adaptation theory promoted by critics associated with universities such as Columbia University, Yale University, and Oxford University.

Category:2013 films Category:Films based on works by F. Scott Fitzgerald Category:Films directed by Baz Luhrmann