‘The Great Gatsby’ Trailer: For People Who Don’t Get Why Everything Can’t Be in 3D

By  · Published on May 22nd, 2012

Forgive me if you disagree, but I can still see no earthly reason why Baz Luhrmann thinks that his take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby needs to be in 3D. And while the film’s first trailer should change that, should remove doubts about that pesky extra dimension, this one simply doesn’t.

It’s classic Luhrmann in this new look ‐ the energy, the colors, the splash, the spectacle, even the modern music over a classic story (cue Jay-Z and Kanye West) ‐ and that should be enough to put the film in front of fresh eyes, but clearly the filmmaker doesn’t think so. Unfortunately, the effect of 3D made flat (and for computer viewing) means that all those big, clearly show-stopping shots come across with an air of fraudulence. It just doesn’t look real, even for Luhrmann and his trademark style. It’s also fairly obvious from this trailer alone the sort of shots Luhrmann will linger on to make the best use of his 3D ‐ falling confetti, the swirl of a falling shirt, the curl of cigarette smoke, the swing of a polo mallet, and that’s all well and good, but it still feels remarkably pointless. Perhaps his cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Joel Edgerton, will breathe some life into the circus.

Remember that real life is in 3D and love is blindness, and watch the first trailer for The Great Gatsby after the break.

The Great Gatsby opens on December 25th. [Apple]