The Cannes Film Festival got off to a blockbuster, if stormy start, as Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” opened on a soggy French Riviera. Amid heavy rain, dancing flappers flocked down the Cannes red carpet tonight, bringing a touch of the Jazz Age to the Croisette.
“Gatsby” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire helped give the festival’s opening day a strong dose of star power.
At the opening ceremony, DiCaprio, joined by his “Gatsby” co-star, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, declared the 66th Cannes officially begun.
Over the next 12 days, dozens of the world’s most artistically ambitious films will premiere on Cannes’ global stage.
But that day was a day for blockbusters both the big-budget “Gatsby” and Hollywood’s most accomplished director of spectacle: Steven Spielberg.
The international jury also includes Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, French actor Daniel Auteuil and Bollywood star Vidya Balan.