F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a fictional book that takes place during the 1920s and uses a tragic story of unattainable love to convey larger themes like the pursuit of the American dream being foiled by the quest for money.

It is also a book that many students pick up during high school English class, upon which they stare at the weird eyeballs on the cover and wonder what it could possibly be about and why so many people claim it as their favorite book.

In Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, Nick Carraway, who moved to New York to learn the bond business, narrates the story of his neighbor, the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby who is known for his wild parties and turning his dreams into realities.

For those who read The Great Gatsby and enjoyed the story, the movie adaptation by Australian director Baz Luhrmann mimics the book respectably by staying true to the plot and accurately portraying each major character.

The movie also gives the atmosphere of the 1920s in New York a bold and imaginative feel with vivid colors, costumes and scenery.

In scenes that involve music, modern hip-hop scantly mixed with trumpets and piano takes place of the jazz that would have been heard during the time.

When Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) and Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) first go to town together, meeting the infamous Meyer Wolfsheim, this music seems slightly odd as the ambiance of the 20s is interjected with Jay-Z uttering “hundred dollar bill” over and over.

Though somewhat out-of-place and certainly not a traditional take on the 20s, the modern music serves a useful purpose.

In a way, the music attempts to portray what the extravagant environment of the “Roaring 20s” might feel like using songs that the general audience would relate to in present day.

Aside from the inventiveness of the film, the most important aspect that makes it appealing and true to the original charm of the book is the representation of the characters.

Many essential scenes of dialogue in the movie mirror conversations in the book almost exactly.

This is also why the overdramatic visuals do not completely overshadow the story itself.

Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), Nick’s friend from Yale, first appears on screen riding one of his polo horses, then, dripping with sweat, greets Nick with a firm slap on the back.

Edgerton does an excellent job of portraying Tom’s aggressiveness and bringing vitality to a static character, especially when the conflict arises between he and Gatsby over Tom’s wife Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan).

Maguire does not bring an overwhelming amount of emotion to Nick; however, Nick was a calm, reflective guy who was always “inclined to reserve judgment,” so the performance suits him.

DiCaprio’s Jay Gatsby is perhaps the most impressive part of the movie.

For such an iconic, distinctive character who remains mysterious so long into the story, DiCaprio embodies him perfectly, from his confident tonality and persona to his nervous facial expressions when he is about to meet Daisy, the love of his life, for the first time in five years.

Though mostly faithful to the original story, the movie employs a framed narrative in which Nick is telling the story of Gatsby to a doctor in a sanitarium.

The doctor’s sheet about Nick reads “morbidly alcoholic, insomniac, fits of anger, anxiety,” which does not sound much like Nick, considering the fact that he states he has only been drunk twice in his life.

He seems depressed and distraught when recalling his past, instead of simply being reflective.

This plot device is forgivable, though, because it gives Nick a reason to begin narrating the story.

Overall, the movie brings new life to a classic story and adds a bit of pizzazz.

Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or samarkham@eiu.edu.