A deep dive into J. Gatsby | The Great Gatsby (2013) | Article
Introduction
During the 1920’s America was motoring into 10 years of economic prosperity, with the American’s being fueled by illegal alcohol and radical ideas. They were obsessive, excessive, dreamers that reality was too slow to catch them. And what better way to enter our own roaring 20s by taking a look at a man that encapsulates the American ideology at the time, the poster boy of the American dream, a man who worked from nothing to be richer than the Gods themselves, a man known as The Great Gatsby.
Originally a book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and then taken to the big screen 4 times, Gatsby has been in the consciousness of Americans since 1925. A year that was the midway point for America’s high times. But I’m not looking at Fitzgerald's original book - maybe for another time - nor the big screen adaptations from 1926, 1949, or 1974. My attention goes to Baz Lurhman’s adaptation in 2013.
The most recent and for now the last interpretation, The Great Gatsby 2013 version isn’t a cinematic masterclass nor is it always entertaining but the character of J Gatsby portrayed by always charming Leonardo DiCaprio is a fascinating insight into American people during that crazy decade.
Baz Lurhman had the past to dictate how to portray J Gatsby, but Fitzgerald never knew what was right around the corner for America at the end of the decade. 1929 brought upon the Great Depression. America and most importantly the American people had lost everything. The devastating Wall Street Crash had destroyed America. And that transition from carefree naivety to hard hitting reality is a perfect allegory for the character of J Gatsby.
America was obsessive, excessive, and dreamers. Sounds a lot like our Great Gatsby.
Obsession
The aim of the game during the 1920’s was to get rich and then get even richer. That obsessiveness was a poison to the American people that fueled their eventual downfall.
This is a similar story to Gatsby who obsessed over his perfect life he could never live with a girl that was always too far away. Gatsby fell in love with Daisy from the moment he laid eyes on her and that drug of love blinded Gatsby for years.
This had left Gatsby into buying a house across the river from hers and throwing extravagant parties because he believed this was the best way to see her. This obsessiveness to be with the girl he couldn’t have left Gatsby with a hole that couldn’t be filled by the lavish cars or the enormous house. All Gatsby ever wanted was his fate to be fulfilled.
Which was only partially done. Gatsby had another obsession before Daisy. That was to make a name for himself and to be what he thought he was someone with a greater purpose.
Gatsby had always thought he had a higher purpose than to his parents or the rest of humanity which led to him obsessively trying to find his way to the top.
The aim to be a higher being was fulfilled, he became friends with a sailor who taught him how to act respectful and his dealings with illegal alcohol was the catalyst for making him a wealthy person.
But he still missed the most important part of his story. Daisy.
Just as the American’s played the stock market to get rich Gatsby played with lives trying to break marriages so that he could get what he wanted.
This would eventually be his downfall.
Excessiveness
With greater wealth and the technological progression of mass goods, American’s were buying more than they needed because the goods were cheap and affordable. It was a statement to have the newest fridge or cooker.
Gatsby was no different. His wealth led him to affording a huge house where he would throw the biggest parties the world would see.
It was all about owning everything and it was too much, the American’s would buy the in style fur coats for their wives while Gatsby threw lavishing parties for Daisy. Wouldn’t you say that was excessive?
But under that excessiveness was always love. When he finally gets the opportunity to meet Daisy through Nick Carraway he decorates Nick’s living room with flowers that fill every frame.
It all becomes unnecessary because Daisy sees right through the flowers and straight into the eyes of Gatsby and the flowery apartment is removed by them sitting away from the flouristy room to a place where they are just two people chatting.
Gatsby and Daisy were separated for five years. To make up for those years Gatsby put their lives on display by the fancy homes, cars, and parties. The excessiveness of Gatsby is him compensating for lost time he had with Daisy.
But it was all fun and games. Gatsby enjoyed having the parties. He always had hope that Daisy would appear making the parties he threw a glimmer of hope of real happiness.
Dreams
Because just like America in the 1920’s and Gatsby they were all dreamers. All of them washed over by the glamour and wealth that it seemed impossible that the fun would ever end.
The movie is shot like a dream where colours look faded and the camera wisps around our characters. The world feels free and without rules.
When Gatsby and Daisy are together the movie feels even more like a dream as if to say that one day they would have to wake up from this world and return to reality where they cannot be together.
Their relationship was once real but now can only live in a dream.
Gatsby lived away from most people and was secluded. Living in a bubble that he is the perfect man. People on the outside do not really know who he is or what his past was. Gatsby was a fairy tale legend.
Was he an assassin, Oxford genius or the heir to a King. No one knew.
Gatsby and the rest of the people in the movie lived in a dream land where they could be what they want, and do what they want at any time.
Reality
The movie presents a place where only the harsh realities live. A place secluded from the dream world. Where the eyes of God sees the sins committed.
This place is full of hard workers that never got the paycheck everyone else got and still lived and worked so that can afford to put food on the table.
This is a place Gatsby doesn’t associate with but it becomes the most important place in his life.
It is no coincidence that this is the place where everything for Gatsby breaks down, his relationship with Daisy to his status as the man everyone respected. This is where reality hits Gatsby and where the real world applies to him.
He isn’t the world famous party king. He’s like everyone else, just a person. The rules apply to him there, not like in New York where he can speed because he’s Gatsby.
In this part of the city, if you drive recklessly you will kill someone.
The bleak reality of Gatsby after the death of Myrtle Wilson where everything falls apart and where his riches cannot help him is similar to the Great Depression after the Stock Market Crash.
The American’s who partied everyday lost everything in the blink of an eye.
The reality of their lifestyle was creeping up and sustainability was collapsing.
Gatsby in the end lost Daisy and the people who would often go to his luxurious parties no longer saw him as a God but a killer. Gatsby lost everything.
Conclusion
J Gatsby’s rise and demise is a representation of the American dream during the roaring 20’s and little did he or the American’s know, reality hits and it hits hard. But just like everyone else during the 20s Gatsby didn’t care because he was also obsessive, excessive and a dreamer and above all he was great.
