I was already eager to see Baz Luhrmann’s take on “The Great Gatsby” when it was scheduled for a December release last year, so at this point my impatience could hardly be greater. As a die-hard Baz Luhrmann defender — yes, I liked “Australia” — I remain more curious about this 3D spectacle than any other summer release, which is not to say I’m necessarily expecting an unqualified success.
The latest trailer — presumably the last we’ll see before the Cannes curtain-raiser opens next month — doesn’t make it any clearer what we have on our hands here: a wonder, a grand folly, or a bit of both. Either way, it’s tantalizing stuff, remixing a lot of the imagery we’ve already seen with some new footage that promises still further visual dazzle. With every frame I see, I’m increasingly convinced that Catherine Martin (with an assist in the wardrobe department from Prada) might be a shoo-in for the Best Production Design and Best Costume Design Oscars (a double she previously managed for “Moulin Rouge!”).
Otherwise, it seems to me the new trailer offers us slightly more Joel Edgerton than we’ve seen to date — though, perhaps appropriately given his character’s perspective in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, Tobey Maguire is being withheld.
The trailer’s freshest revelation, meanwhile, is the taste it offers of the film’s all-star, Jay-Z-produced soundtrack: we can hear snatches of Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful,” Florence and the Machine’s “Over the Love” and Beyoncé and André 3000’s cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” (hmm, not sure I’m ready for that one). Katie Hasty has the full soundtrack listing, a mixture of covers and original compositions from the likes of Gotye, Jack White and Emeli Sandé — could a Best Original Song nod be in the works too?
Check out the trailer embedded above, and be sure to tell us what you think in the comments.