Movie Ratings That Actually Work    Become a Member

"One of the 50 Coolest Websites...they simply tell it like it is" - TIME

The Great Gatsby | 2013 | PG-13 | - 5.6.3

Film adaptation of the eponymous classic novel of the roaring '20s New York by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the enigmatic millionaire who continues to pursue his former sweetheart (Carey Mulligan) who's now married to a man that's brutish but comes from old money. Also with Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Debicki, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke and Amitabh Bachchan. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. [2:23]

SEX/NUDITY 5 - A man sits in an apartment and hears rhythmic thumping and moaning from an adjoining room where a married man and a woman are having sex; a dog in the room with the man listens and whimpers.
 A man and a married woman kiss in bed (we see his bare back and her shoulders), they hug and it is implied that they have had sex. A man and a woman nearly kiss and then do kiss; we then see them lying back with the man on top of the woman and they continue to kiss as he pulls her dress off her shoulder (we see her bare shoulder and sex is implied). A woman takes a man's hand and leads him to a bedroom; we see him lying back on the bed and the woman wearing undergarments (we see part of her bare buttocks and her bare legs) rolls on top of him (it is not clear whether sex takes place).
 A married woman and a man kiss, he pulls her close to him and kisses her neck and they are interrupted. A woman passes a "nerve pill" from her mouth to a man by kissing him. Men and women kiss at a party. A man has a flashback and we see him kissing a woman. A man kisses a married woman on the forehead and she rests her head in his lap as he caresses her hair. A man and a married woman talk and touch each other lovingly.
 A married man follows a woman into a room where it is implied that he has sex with her. A married man lifts the skirt of a woman and slaps her on the clothed buttock (she is wearing what looks like a short lace petty pant). We see a woman through a window removing her clothing to her undergarments (we see her bare back, shoulders and legs) and dancing suggestively for a man; the man approaches her and grabs her clothed buttock. A married man and a woman flirt and talk about an apartment (they are implied to be having an affair). A married woman and a man hug and dance. A married woman and a man dance and he kisses her on the head. A man asks another man if he can dance with his wife and he is given permission. A man and a woman gaze at each other longingly in a few scenes. A man lights a cigarette for a woman and she touches his hand lovingly.
 We hear that a man had an affair with a chambermaid. A man accepts a telephone call at his home and it is implied that the person on the other end is his mistress when he says, "I thought I told you never to call me here"; we see his wife becoming upset. A man sends for a woman asking her to meet with him in private and she does (nothing is implied). A man and a woman in a car talk and flirt. A man makes a remark to his wife about "going off on a spree, but I always come back" (implying infidelities). A woman speaks about another woman and says, "She's said to be pretty by people who know." A man says to another man, "I know you like to watch."
 Several enormous party scenes include scantily clad women dancing with suggestive movements (we see bare shoulders, cleavage, bare abdomens and bare legs). During a party in an apartment, several women remove articles of clothing down to their undergarments (cleavage, bare shoulders, backs and legs are visible) while dancing with men and drinking. We see scantily clad women (bare shoulders, cleavage, bare abdomens and legs are shown) dancing suggestively in a party scene. During a party, a man removes his shirt and we see his bare chest and abdomen. A man wakes up from a drunken stupor on his front porch swing and wearing under garments (his bare shoulders and legs are seen). In a drinking establishment, a woman swings on a trapeze and when she leans back and spreads her legs, her bare thighs to the hip and part of her bare buttocks are shown. A woman dances and kicks up her leg revealing her upper legs (covered by stockings) under her dress. A woman wearing a skimpy outfit (reveals bare shoulders, cleavage, bare abdomen and legs) at a huge party sings and dances suggestively.
 Women and men are shown wearing swimming attire of the time that reveals bare shoulders, upper chests, cleavage and legs in a few scenes. Many women wear low-cut dresses that reveal cleavage, bare shoulders and backs in several scenes. A woman wears a dress that reveals the sides of her breasts and her bare back. A man is shown wearing a tank top that reveals his upper chest and shoulders. A woman wears a low-cut dress that reveals deep cleavage in several scenes. A woman wears a flesh tone dress. A woman wearing a full slip (it reveals bare shoulders and cleavage) stands at a window and looks at a man longingly (please see the Violence/Gore category for more details).

VIOLENCE/GORE 6 - A husband yells at his wife and we see blood on her face (he has apparently struck her); she runs out into the street in front of a car that hits her and we see her thrown into the windshield (it shatters) and into the air, and then lands dead on the street (we see a deep, bloody wound on her chest and blood on her face and head). We see the woman struck by a car in a flashback.
 A man shoots another man in the back and we see blood on his chest as he falls back into a swimming pool (we see blood spread in the water and we see the man floating face down and dead). A man puts a gun in his mouth and we hear a shot (we do not see the injury, but we do see the man lying dead on the ground.
 A man is dragged out of a party by four other men and one punches him repeatedly while the others hold him; we hear the blows and grunts but do not see the injuries. A man slaps and punches a woman in the face and she falls back and onto a sofa. A man grabs another man and yells at him. A man slams glasses and a bottle off a bar and grabs a man; he raises his fist to the man while yelling at him, but does not hit him. A fight breaks out at a party and we hear glasses breaking; the fight is subdued quickly and we see no injuries.
 We see a dead woman covered by a sheet on a table and a man pulls the sheet back to reveal her bruised and bloody face and chest. We see a dead man lying in an open coffin.
 We hear a car squealing and the sound of a crash and then see a car flipped on its side (no one appears injured). Two men drive recklessly on narrow roads. A man drives a car recklessly speeding on narrow roads and swerving around other cars. Several open topped cars are shown jammed with people and as the car swerves the people hang farther over the side (no one is harmed). A car speeds in circles around a house and makes the house rumble, startling the man inside.
 Several scenes show a wasteland where men dig ash and are covered with soot. We see a few quick war scenes that show explosions and men shooting at each other (no injuries are evident).
 A woman is shown at a window looking at a man longingly and we see that she has a bloody cut on her face (it is implied that her husband beat her). A man wears a human molar as a tiepin. A man with a pick breaks a large chunk of ice into chips pounding it repeatedly.
 A man accidentally knocks a clock off a mantel and it breaks. A man bumps into a lamp and it falls over and breaks. A man throws many shirts over a balcony at a woman seated on a bed below and she pleads with him to stop and then cries.
 A husband and his wife argue in a few scenes. A woman speaks harshly to her husband. A woman cries and screams after reading a letter and rips a strand of pearls off her neck. A man yells at someone on the telephone. A man yells at another man who grabs him and tries to quiet him. A man yells at photographers swarming around a dead man in a coffin.
 We read in a doctor's report that a man was admitted to a sanitarium for "fits of anger, insomnia and alcoholism." A man says of another man, "Something ought to be done about him" and "He'll pay." A man refers to his family as being "all dead now." A man is described as having "killed a man" and that he "kills for fun." A man makes bigoted remarks about African-Americans "taking over" from the "dominant race." A man says, "They have to be old so they die quickly." A man is said to be a gambler and that he "fixed the World Series." A man makes a snide remark about people of different races marrying.

LANGUAGE 3 - 6 mild obscenities, 2 derogatory terms for African-Americans, 1 derogatory term for a Jewish person, name-calling (primitive, brute, fool, grotesque, evil German king, filthy bootleggers, gangster, snake charmer, rotten crowd, devil, alcoholic, revolting, nobody, crazy, dirt poor farmers, scumbag, coward, greasy, stupid, common swindler), 2 religious profanities, 7 religious exclamations.

SUBSTANCE USE - A woman puts a "nerve pill" in her mouth and passes it to a man by kissing him followed by a large drink of alcohol. People are shown drinking wine with a dinner, a man says about a group of acquaintances that "all of us drank too much," we read in a doctor's report that a man was admitted to a sanitarium for alcoholism, many people drink alcohol in a club scene, several enormous party scenes include people drinking alcohol to excess, a man talks about a ban on alcohol backfiring, several men and women drink to excess in a party in an apartment, a man talks about getting drunk, several men and women riding in a moving car drink champagne and dance, people are shown lying around and stumbling after drinking to excess at a party, a man drinks a shot of liquor, and people drink champagne in several scenes. People smoke cigarettes in several scenes, a man smokes in several scenes, and a man smokes a huge cigar.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Wealth, imagination, judgment, alcoholism, greed, snobbery, excess, infidelity, morality, hope, prohibition, secrets, desperation, longing, falling in love, racism, memories, ambition, truth, exaggeration, cynicism, corruption, dreams, chasing destiny.

MESSAGE - You can't repeat the past and class distinctions persist.

CAVEATS

Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.

We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.

Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.


how to
support us

PLEASE DONATE

We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.

NO MORE ADS!

Become a member of our premium site for just $1/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. And you will be helping support our website & our efforts.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We welcome suggestions & criticisms -- and we accept compliments too. While we read all emails & try to reply we don't always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address.

how to
support us

PLEASE DONATE

We are a totally independent website with no connections to political, religious or other groups & we neither solicit nor choose advertisers. You can help us keep our independence with a donation.

NO MORE ADS!

Become a member of our premium site for just $2/month & access advance reviews, without any ads, not a single one, ever. And you will be helping support our website & our efforts.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We welcome suggestions & criticisms -- and we will accept compliments too. While we read all emails & try to reply we do not always manage to do so; be assured that we will not share your e-mail address.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter

Know when new reviews are published
We will never sell or share your email address with anybody and you can unsubscribe at any time

You're all set! Please check your email for confirmation.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This