Given the massive amount of money that goes into even the
smallest Hollywood production, it is hard calling any of them craft. Most
people would assign that label to the independent films made outside of the big
studios. But if there is one person today whose personal mark is unmistakable,
someone who embodies the craft of filmmaking, it is Baz Luhrmann.
Of course we’re referring here to the director’s latest work, The Great Gatsby, and whether you appreciate him or not, if you’re a fan
of cocktail culture, this movie is a must see. In typical grandiose style, Luhrmann
does reasonable justice to the original Fitzgerald masterpiece while painting a
picture of the Roaring Twenties that, if not historically accurate, portrays
them as they may well manifest here in another decade. It is undoubtedly a
tragedy, as nearly all of Luhrmann’s subjects are, but regardless of the
unfortunate and inevitable outcome, it provides, at the very least, wonderful
inspiration for a Jazz Age summer gala of your own.
