When I think of Baz Luhrmann films, there are generally two things that spring to mind:
1. Stunning visuals that are bright, often garish but dazzle all the same;2. A sweeping rollercoaster score from composer Craig Armstrong.
And the score for The Great Gatsby really does not disappoint, dipping between solemn, thoughtful pieces such as "Overture and Sanitarium", to the carefree nonchalance of "Buchanan Mansion and Daisy Suite", to the beautifully emotional "Hotel Sayre", featuring Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful", which acts as the perfect center piece for this film.
Armstrong's score captures the raw emotion of the story, which is - ultimately - a sad, love story and whilst I'm often a little sceptical of composers incorporating tracks by other artists into their scores, I think it works incredibly well with both the works of Lana Del Rey and band The xx.
It's just a shame that the film soundtrack doesn't - in my opinion - quite fit with the film, as beautifully as the score does. I get what Baz Luhrmann and Jay-Z were trying to achieve, and I know that Luhrmann is notorious for using modern music in period settings, however, it didn't feel right in the same way as it did for Moulin Rouge.
Overall
I am totally besotted with the gorgeous and delectable score from Craig Armstrong. However, the modern soundtrack is completely wrong and ill-advised for this 1920's-set classic. I think I would have preferred modern artists taking more of a role in updating older pieces of music, rather than trying to force covers of modern classics to fit.
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