Although it may not have topped off the box office, The Great Gatsby is definitely worth paying to see it on the big screen. Finding words to describe the portrayal of the timeless story of The Great Gatsby can prove to be a challenge, especially when Baz Luhrmann is the director. Not only does the movie closely follow the timeline of the book, but incorporates modern music and the classic style of the 1920s to create a hybrid of two distinct societies.

For many who have read the book, they know that the book in its entirety is narrated by the character, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). In the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby, with Robert Redford as the standout Jay Gatsby, there is some narration and some depiction of when the narrator is writing the story, but there is never full development of the narrator in relation to the story. Starkly contrasting this lack of narration is the newly released The Great Gatsby, which begins the movie with the narration of the Nick Carraway as he is sitting in a penitentiary in Kansas, in rehab for alcoholism. The story begins to unfold as his therapist ushers the story of his past life in the glittering city of New York out of his resistant mouth. Through the initial rehash of his past, his therapist finds that once, writing was an outlet for Nick to express his emotions and he encourages him to write down all the events that occurred while he was living in New York. It is through his writings that we get to know the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and unveil the truth of Gatsby and his incorruptible dream. The wealth and exuberance of old money in the city is depicted through Nick’s cousins, Tom and Daisy Buchanan (Joel Edgerton and Carey Mulligan), who live in the “old money” East Egg whereas Nick and Gatsby live in the “new money” West Egg of Long Island. As the story begins to unfold and we meet the budding Jay Gatsby, we uncover the truth behind Gatsby’s friendship with Nick: to get an outlet to his cousin, Daisy Buchanan. Slowly a secret past begins to appear and we find out that Gatsby and Daisy were once madly in love, and the whole reason Gatsby is in New York is to get Daisy back. But will she choose Gatsby and an unknown future or the security of Tom Buchanan and his money?

Finding differences between the movie and the book can prove to be a challenge, considering Luhrmann follows the book up until specific details at the end. Luhrmann, known for his distinct style of directing, created a film that not only embodied the story of The Great Gatsby, but also gave light to the different symbolisms and motifs located in the underlying meaning of the F. Scott Fitzgerald story. But Luhrmann wasn’t the only spectacular part of this movie; his choice in making DiCaprio Jay Gatsby wasn’t only in order to include an incredibly talented actor but to recreate the character that F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts in the book. DiCaprio made the audience laugh, weep, applaud and hope for fulfillment of his American Dream. Similarly, Maguire played an incredibly versatile Nick Carraway and gave the audience the ability to look into the life of the rich in 1920s New York.

Focusing just on the actors doesn’t do the cinematography and the music in the movie justice. Cinematographically the movie can be a little disorienting. The shapes and figures in the movie almost seem to be and move in an animated manner. Although that kind of cinematography is common in most Luhrmann movies it still can cause the audience to feel a dizzying feeling. But the music was a standout of the movie. The combination of twenties Charleston style and modern rap created a distinct sound to the movie that created a clashing of old and new, symbolic of meanings in the book. The soundtrack was produced by Jay-z, and included artists such as Fergie, will.i.am, Amy Winehouse, along with many others.

The Great Gatsby is definitely worth the time and money to see. A disclaimer is that the movie is rated R, and contains some graphic images, excessive amounts of alcohol and crude language. But no matter, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives when it comes to watching The Great Gatsby. The overall culmination of actors, directors, music, costumes and cinematography make the movie a brilliant depiction of the timeless story of Jay Gatsby and his American Dream.