The Glamorous & Tragic World of Jay Gatsby

To celebrate the conclusion of my first year as a pre-med post-baccalaureate student, my friend K and I went to see the new Baz Luhrmann adaptation of the great American classic, The Great Gatsby. I have been waiting to see this film for months…ever since the trailer first came out last year, advertising for a Christmas 2012 opening, rather than spring 2013 opening.

 

Like most Americans, I read The Great Gatsby in high school. I specifically remember sitting in 11^th grade English class, where the curriculum focused on American authors, reading this. Tennessee Williams, Toni Morrison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Walt Whitman, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, to name a few…we read them all my junior year. Whilst I do not remember all of the texts very well, nor can I remember what we discussed with regards to these works, I can clearly say that of all of the authors we read, I enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald and his masterpiece, The Great Gatsby the most; it was the one assignment that caught my imagination and interest. In fact, to this day, I vividly remember discussing the symbolism behind “the green light” at the end of Daisy’s dock in my final essay for this course!

Gatsby reaching out towards the green light at the end of Daisy's dock

I guess it’s really corny to say this, but as a high school girl, I fell under the spell of Jay Gatsby…I mean, how could you not? Charming, wealthy, mysterious, ambitious, handsome, hopeful, international, sophisticated, and loyal…to me, Gatsby was, and still is, an irresistible gentleman. He was born into nothing, but worked his way up to the top. Sure, his ambition may leave you raising your eyebrows and his means to attain his wealth is at times questionable, but I think his drive and unwavering optimism is really marvelous.

So, as a great fan of this novel, you can imagine my excitement to see Luhrmann’s adaptation. I am pleased to report, although I went in a bit apprehensive, I absolutely loved this film! I thought the adaptation was beautiful, creative, and pretty loyal to the original. Sure, some artistic licenses were taken, but hey, it’s a Hollywood film and I have seen a lot worse. From start to finish, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen. I can’t wait for this movie to come out on DVD so I can watch it over and over again!

I enjoy Baz Lurhman’s films as well, at least, the ones that I have seen. I particularly enjoyed Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Australia (2008). I have not seen Romeo + Juliet (1996) in its entirety, but I have enjoyed what I have seen. There is something about Luhrmann that I like. I think it’s his creativity. His films are always so colorful, glamorous, and over the top. The costumes, cinematography, music…everything always works for him, even when I don’t think it will. The Great Gatsby was no exception.

Before I watched the film, I began to listen to The Great Gatsby film soundtrack on iTunes. I was curious and it was available. I was a bit skeptical. I knew that it was produced by Jay-Z, and I thought the blend of 1920s jazz and modern hip-hop was sort of strange. Other songs on the soundtrack also blended new and old sounds to create a new type of sound that I thought was strange. Not necessarily awful, but strange. It wasn't until I saw the movie and I saw the music in context, that I was able to appreciate the creative brilliance, most of which I will attribute to Jay-Z, as well as the other artists involved. I have recently grown to love Emelie Sande's cover of "Crazy in Love", as well as Lana Del Rey's haunting and beautiful ballad, "Young & Beautiful." When I think about it and I think about Luhrmann's other films, I think this soundtrack is classic to Luhrmann's style in it's ability to blend genres and time periods...and most importantly, these re-imaginings somehow work!

I thought Luhrmann’s did a fabulous job bringing Fitzgerald’s vision to life. Sure, it was a bit sexualized at times and the parties were crazier than what Fitzgerald described, but I think Luhrmann read between the lines. I think Fitzgerlad definitely hints at Myrtle/Tom’s sexual relationship, but since he was writing in 1925, sex wasn’t really a socially accepted topic of discussion. Same with the parties. The Great Gatsby takes place during Prohibition, where people enjoyed living life and partied hard. (This is mainly the wealthy who are doing this of course). Whilst parties in the 20s were probably a bit tamer and not as glamorous as Luhrmann’s creation, I don’t think he was far off. If anything, I think Luhrmann’s parties amplify what Fitzgerald was alluding to and I think Luhrmann’s parties really capture the carefree ambience of the 1920s. Does that make sense? 

one of Gatsby's elaborate parties

That said, Luhrmann also did a really good job, in my opinion of toning things down when they needed to be toned down. Like when Nick and Daisy spend their summer days at Gatsby’s home. The scenes are still glamorous, but it’s subtle. Nothing is dazzling or shimmering, but you can still get a sense of how wealthy Gatsby is, without all of the flash.

Luhrmann at work

Moving on, I thought the casting of the film was also spot on. I am not a very big Tobey Maguire fan, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten excited over him, but I have to say, I thought he was perfect as Nick. Handsome, but not a scene stealer. I thought Maguire’s portrayal of Nick was convincing because he caught the earnest, naïve, and good nature of Nick, but also exuded the dejection and cynicism that Nick experiences at the start and finish of the novel. 

Carey Mulligan was wonderful as Daisy. I should say, Carey Mulligan will always be “Sally Sparrow” from Doctor Who, to me, but I liked her as Daisy. I think Mulligan captured Daisy’s beauty and naivety, whilst also capturing Daisy’ seductive and destructive nature. I have never liked Daisy. I always found her to be a careless heartbreaker. The way she destroys Gatsby has never sat well with me, and I think Mulligan does a really good job at illustrating this. I felt that at the start of the film, I liked and sympathized with her character, but as the film progressed, Daisy evolves and by the end of the film, I was furious with her.

As for Isla Fisher (Myrtle) and Joel Edgerton (Tom Buchanan)…well done to the two of them! I thought Isla Fisher did a fabulous job oozing the loose-moral sexuality that Myrtle is characterized as having. She was common, loud, and fearless…definitely the opposite of Daisy. I can kind of see why Tom would be attracted to her. Watching Joel Edgerton was like watching Tom Buchanan come to life. I mean, he really was perfect and was everything I envisioned for the character. Strong, handsome, manly, arrogant, and sort of an overall bastard…yep, Edgerton got it perfectly!

Of course, the real star of this film was Leonardo DiCaprio as the protagonist Jay Gatsby. Wow. I was blown away by DiCaprio. Like Edgerton, in my opinion, Dicaprio didn’t just play Jay Gatsby, he WAS Jay Gatsby. The way he dressed, carried himself, way he spoke…everything about him was Jay Gatsby. I have only recently become a Leo DiCaprio fan, but I must say, this is one of my all time favorite films of his, if not my favorite film of his. I thought that the way he portrayed Gatsby was so natural, like it came to him second nature. I mean, all of the actors were great, but I think Leonard DiCaprio really stood apart from the rest.

First off, Leo wears a tuxedo very well. Like, MY GOD he looks handsome. When he introduced himself to Tobey Macguire at the party and handed him a glass of champagne, I got lost in Leo’s blue eyes and swooned shamelessly…in fact, I think I swooned the during the entire film. I was particularly impressed by DiCaprio’s ability to capture all of Gatsby’s emotions. From the reunion with Daisy, to his summer with Daisy, to his desperation to have Daisy for his own. I think DiCaprio captured the evolution of Gatsby perfectly. I remember that as the ending of the film neared, because I felt so connected to Leo DiCaprio’s Jay Gatsby, I prayed that the ending had been changed…I couldn’t face what was in store for Gatsby… (I’ll stop there so I don’t spoil this for anyone)…

I think at the end of the day, I agree with Nick when he says, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy --- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made…” (179). Gatsby was a dreamer. He was an idealist and he was driven not just by ambition, but by love. Sure, he wanted to leave his humble beginnings behind him, but he still retained an incredibly humble attitude. Rather than be a nouveau-riche snob, he was always courteous and did his best to make people like him, even if it meant buying friendships and impressing the world with his wealth and intrigue; he was never outright malicious. Still, everything he did, he did for the love of his life, Daisy…and how is he repaid? He is abandoned, humiliated, and thrown to the wayside…only to suffer a truly tragic fate. It’s heartbreaking really. I think that Gatsby is the only truly respectable character in the novel, not including Nick, yet he is the one who is punished. I guess what I am saying is that Gatsby is such a tragic character. His ideals and dreams, which are largely rooted in the part, lead to his downfall.

With that in mind, I want to end this incredibly long post (sorry!) with this quote that I love. Nick opens both the book and film version of the The Great Gatsby reminiscing about 1922. He says, “Gatsby --- who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of the “creative temperament” --- it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again. No --- Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.”

Note: I do not own any of these pictures. They are all taken from google