I've never read The Great Gatsby, but the praise and hype around it, especially with the new movie starring Di Caprio has certainly made me curious. Many great novels stand the test of time and it reminds me of the power of words. Reading is an intimate experience that the reader shares with the author. We believe what we read in the newspapers, provided it sounds reasonably credible, we often don't question motivations, manipulations and other such disingenuous possibilities.
Classic books will have a place in our lives, no matter all the new technology and Hollywood glitz. The truth is that a great story is still a great story. We can remake movies again and again, but we cannot truly remake great books.
I always hope that with each Hollywood movie, a few more people remember to read a book rather than watch another reality tv show or surf the internet for meaningless moments that our work-weary brain desires.
Not that I don't appreciate the simple wit in Ironman 3 or the flashy cars in the Fast and the Furious. I've even accidentaly watched an episode or two of the Kardashians - I know that is incredibly shameful. What I do proudly admit is that I have finally started reading Pride and Prejudice, a book that has long been on my wishlist.There is a reason Austen has managed to stay in our consciousness for centuries.
Baz does produce some interesting work and his efforts to differentiate himself are not without some merit. I do doubt that it will be in the league of masterpieces that will be celebrated 50 years from now. Perhaps it is my bias against Leonardo. He is a decent actor but I simply am not drawn to movies simply by virtue of his presence. Add Tarantino's or Lurhman's touch, then I do consider it worth investing a few hours to visit the cinema. In any case, the new Great Gatsby movie will continue to fund the movie industry and hopefully mean that more quality movies can be made.
