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With Gatsby, Can 3D Come of Age?

Australian director Baz Luhrmann wants to take 3D films past gimmickry into a new cinema of intimacy. In making “The Great Gatsby”, he faces the double challenge of adapting a formidable novel.
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What’s the Latest Development?

Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s next picture will be a 3D adaptation of the “The Great Gatsby”. In addition to fitting the text to the big screen, which has baffled directors since the novel was published, Luhrmann wants to transform cinema the way that 3D cameras were supposed to. Critics say the film will “tell whether 3D can actually serve actors as they struggle through a complex story set squarely inside the natural world.” Luhrmann faces an ambivalent audience not yet charmed by 3D effects. 

What’s the Big Idea?

Luhrmann, the successful director of “Moulin Rouge!”, has also proven skilled in adapting complex texts to the screen, as he did in 1996 with “Romeo + Juliet”. With “The Great Gatsby”, he is seeking an entirely new cinema, one which emphasizes a literal intimacy between the viewer and on-screen actors. If successful, the new film could make the movie-going experience more like a night at the theater. “How do you make it feel like you’re inside the room?” Luhrmann asked himself throughout the shooting.

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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