Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby was remarkably faithful to its source material, and there may be no scene more faithful than the first time Gatsby is able to show Daisy the house he built for her. From the time the scene starts, with Gatsby trembling in the rain, too nervous to speak to Daisy, to Daisy’s tears which she covers by saying she’s never seen such beautiful shirts, it’s as if this scene wasn’t scripted, but rather was pulled straight from the pages of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.
The visual effects in the film are absolutely stunning, and the work that team did in crafting the magnificent house is best displayed in this scene. But even better, even more memorable than getting to see the depths of the house, is getting to see the incredible chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Those two are phenomenal in every scene together, but they shine brightest by far in their characters’ first intimate moments together after so many years. Getting to see the wonderment on Daisy’s face as she sees the beauty of his house and his belongings, and seeing the hope and pleasure on Gatsby’s as he watches her so adoringly was one of the true treats of the year in film so far.
[h2] 4) The East – Spin The Bottle[/h2]
As great as the intense infiltration scenes of The East are, it’s the calm moments of intimacy between the members of the group that set the film apart. None of those scenes are as memorable as the spin the bottle scene in the middle of the film. In mere seconds so much is explained about the group with no exposition at all. The film’s version is similar to traditional spin the bottle, but instead of just kissing the person, the spinner asks if he or she may do something of his or her choice to whomever the bottle lands on, such as hug for one minute. If the person whom it lands on is uncomfortable with the request, they can suggest an alternative.
At this point in the movie Brit Marling’s Sarah is extremely conflicted. She’s begun to relate to the members of the group, and may have feelings for its leader, but still is devoted to her job. In this scene she (and we) see just how close this group is. Watching Alexander Skarsgard ask to kiss someone’s belly button, and Ellen Page ask to kiss Marling, makes for an oddly powerful scene that feels so intimate that it’s almost overwhelming at times. Watching those calm moments, you feel like you’re witnessing something truly special.
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