There’s no Cole Porter on the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby.” There is Jay Z, Beyonce, Bryan Ferry and Emeli Sande, Florence and the Machine, and Q Tip. This is not your grandfather’s Gatsby. Tonight, the world will finally see what all the fuss is about when Warner Bros. unveils the new “Gatsby” at Lincoln Center, followed by a soiree at the Plaza Hotel.
Will this two hour and twenty minute 3D extravaganza be a disaster for Warner Bros. like “Jack and the Beanstalk” or a grand slam home run like “The Dark Knight”? Luhrmann’s epic take on the great American novel was supposed to be ready last fall for Christmas and the Oscars. But it was pushed to May 10th because the director just wasn’t ready. The reason was said to be that soundtrack, which does have a lovely composed theme by Craig Armstrong, hadn’t been finished. It’s certainly eclectic, as you can tell from the sampler below.
But it’s also clear that the 3D required an enormous amount of labor. So did the set design. This “Gatsby” is all about style layered onto Fitzgerald’s text. The movie feels like the most ornate dessert cart you’ve ever seen, filled with massive, rich treats on every Art Deco shelf. It’s almost too much to take in. It should explode off a big screen with a great sound system.
And so: here it comes. I saw “Gatsby” for the first time about 10 days ago. Tonight will be round 2 for some, and for others, a mind blower waiting to happen.
