The Great Gatsby Film Will Be 3D and Shot in Australia, Just As F. Scott Fitzgerald Intended

02/21/2011 by

Like many Americans, I was required to read The Great Gatsby in high school English class, along with a heap of other classics by authors such as Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Maugham. And while I didn’t necessarily adore reading every book I was assigned, never once did I think to myself, “You know, the Joads are alright and everything, but what this story really needs is a film adaptation in 3D!”

Grapes of Wrath 525x421 The Great Gatsby Film Will Be 3D and Shot in Australia, Just As F. Scott Fitzgerald Intended

The illusion of the third dimension really makes their desperation pop!

So it’s with raised eyebrows that I share the news that Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Gatsby adaptation will be filmed in 3D. On the one hand, I’m tempted to jump to the conclusion that the film will be an overblown disaster, but on the other hand I’m tempted to (shakily) trust Baz Luhrmann on this. I like his style, and I like how he breathes new life into tragically familiar old storylines (Romeo and Juliet, La Boheme), but…3D? REALLY?

Perhaps my problem stems from the fact that the last movie I saw in 3D was My Bloody Valentine, but to film something like The Great Gatsby in 3D seems so overblown and lavish and over-the-top and hey, waaaait a minute:

Robert Redford1 525x349 The Great Gatsby Film Will Be 3D and Shot in Australia, Just As F. Scott Fitzgerald Intended

Sound like anyone you know? Nicely played, Luhrmann.

(I think.)

Of lesser initial offense to me was the news that the film will be shot on location in Australia, a.k.a. way, way, WAY West Egg.  I mean, sure, I can’t help but picture the movie being filmed on Long Island, but, uh…how to put this? F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island is quite different than modern-day Long Island.

Dina Lohan Lindsay Lohan 525x393 The Great Gatsby Film Will Be 3D and Shot in Australia, Just As F. Scott Fitzgerald Intended

I do not recall Daisy Buchanan having a premier membership to Mystic Tan.

The Australian shoot will be a boon to the economy there, in addition to giving a needed boost to the country’s profile in the international filmmaking community, so good for them. I fully trust native Aussie Baz Luhrmann when it comes to location, I just really, really hope he knows what he’s doing with this 3D stuff. Sure, he’s got a pretty decent track record of delivering visually stunning epics, but he’s been known to cross the line into nightmare-fuel territory from time to time.

Jim Broadbent Moulin Rouge 525x350 The Great Gatsby Film Will Be 3D and Shot in Australia, Just As F. Scott Fitzgerald Intended

GAH!


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About Jive Turkey

Jive Turkey lives in Pittsburgh and spends her time desperately clinging to the hope that someday the cast of Deadwood will destroy the cast of Glee.


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Filed Under: Best Of Featured, Best Of MamaPop, Fail, Movies, News, Signs Of The Apocalypse, Things That Suck, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, WTF? Tagged With: Australia, baz luhrmann, Dina Lohan, f. scott fitzgerald, Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Lohan, Long Island, Moulin Rouge, Robert Redford, The Great Gatsby
  • http://www.agirlandaboy.com/journal agirlandaboy

    The shock has rendered me unable to comment at this time.

    • http://jiveturkeyjives.com/ Jive Turkey

      I was afraid of how you’d take this news.

  • Molly

    Admit it: the car accident will be epic.

    • http://jiveturkeyjives.com/ Jive Turkey

      Admitted.

  • Murth

    I have nothing witty to say, except that I love your wit – Thank you for making this Monday night so much less sucky

  • http://www.twitter.com/Sekhmetnakt Sekhmetnakt

    The thing is this, studies have been published that prove that 3D, at least as it’s done now, causes optical damage. Roger Ebert has blogged about this (I can’t wait to his destruction, er, review of this train wreck). And it’s all dark and blurry. Plus what are you supposed to do if you wear glasses anyhow? I refuse to see this or anything in 3D. Again, at least, the harmful and stupid way it’s done now.

  • http://www.rebecca-crawford.com Becca

    I’ve never read The Great Gatsby. My HS English teacher was actually a college professor (PhD and everything) and ran her class like a college class, meaning we did what she enjoyed, curriculum be damned. This woman had a raging, white-hot, irrational hatred of Fitzgerald. I had no idea why. So she never made us read Gatsby, but we did watch the Robert Redford movie, which I loved and still love to this day.

    Now Steinbeck? She had a serious lady-hardon for Steinbeck.