Introduction
Many outstanding books are filmed to ensure that many people can enjoy the story, characters, and their interactions. However, not all films based on books are worth seeing, as they fail to create the necessary atmosphere and provide viewers with an accurate adaptation. The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald is one of the masterpieces of American literature, which touches upon themes considered classics and will always be relevant. For this reason, there were many attempts to film it. Baz Luhrmann’s film version of The Great Gatsby is an accurate adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book because it effectively utilizes the symbolism of the setting and characters to develop the theme of illusions, the American Dream, and show its failure.
Film Representation of Setting in Relation to the Book’s Theme
The setting and its symbolic meaning are among the movie’s first important aspects, making it a good adaptation of the book. For instance, Fitzgerald devotes much attention to describing the Valley of Ashes as a place where” ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” (Fitzgerald 20). Moreover, all apartments there look unattractive: “a small living-room, a small dining-room, a small bedroom, and a bath” (Fitzgerald 24). The area is contrasted with Gatsby’s house or attractive city areas, full of luxurious elements, cars, and furniture. The quotes from the text show that the Valley of Ashes is considered a place of inequality and moral corruption. It is dusty and smoky, and all the residents want to leave and move to a better place.
The movie presents the same idea and clearly shows the division between social classes who live in the Valley of Ashes and other, more prestigious regions. Speaking about it, Nick uses the same grotesque images of workers covered with dust and smoke, living and doing their jobs in depressing surroundings (The Great Gatsby 00:14:42-00:15:01). The movie depicts small rooms and tiny places that follow Fitzgerald’s representations and help viewers realize the atmosphere of the place. At the same time, the setting serves as an essential symbol of social division and the American Dream. Everyone from the Valley of Ashes wants to enter Gatsby’s world. Unfortunately, many of them end up like Myrtle Wilson and never enter the world of the rich.
Role of Characters in Revealing the Book’s Theme
The movie is also accurate in introducing the main characters, their nature, and how they interact with others, which is essential for creating an accurate adaptation of the book. Fitzgerald devotes much attention to describing Jay Gatsby as the story’s main character, saying that “his heart was in a constant turbulent riot” (Fitzgerald 76). He was a great mystery to everyone; even his real name was known only to a few people.
The author says, “James Gatz — that was really, or at least legally, his name” (Fitzgerald 75), showing that Gatsby is an image created by a person who wanted to become rich and fulfill his American Dream. Gatsby is close only to Nick, who is different but sincere and ready to listen. At the same time, Gatsby’s rise and fall are important for understanding the message.
The movie saves this approach to telling a story and depicts Jay Gatsby similarly. He is rich and mysterious, and people know little about his past. Guests of the party assume that he was a German spy, a specially trained killer, or a richer than God (The Great Gatsby 00:26:30-00:26:45). Thus, Gatsby is in a constant riot, looking for something new and trying to get Daisy to be part of his dream.
Relations with Nick, the narrator in the movie, are also crucial for uncovering the image of Gatsby and explaining his inner world to viewers. In such a way, the movie accurately depicts the central characters and their problems, which is essential for understanding Fitzgerald’s ideas and the society of that period, with its conflicts and problems. At the same time, a viewer realizes the concept of the American Dream, illusions, and their role in the story.
Illusion vs. Reality
Thus, the opposition between illusion and reality is one of the book’s central themes, as it better shows the main characters, their desires, and their decisive nature. Speaking about the main character, Fitzgerald says that “he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception, he was faithful to the end” (Fitzgerald 76). In such a way, the hero of the story, his character, wealth, and actions are an illusion created to impress people and make Daisy fall in love with Gatsby.
The intense emotions of his youth impacted his desire to become another person and live another life, resulting in the creation of a fictional person. However, Daisy is not natural either, as she creates the illusion to impress Gatsby. It means their relations are illusional and unnatural, the same as the American Dream they wanted to fulfill.
The movie by Baz Luhrmann accurately describes this unique relationship between characters and their behavior. Nick Carraway seems the only natural person, while others lie, play various roles, and use luxurious surroundings to hide their real and corrupted nature. The movie shows how the luxury of the setting is contrasted with the events occurring in the world of rich people. For instance, when the party is over, it becomes unattractive, with crowds of tired and drunk people (The Great Gatsby 00:32:35-00:33:40). Gatsby loses his self-confidence and control, which are part of his image, when he wants to see Daisy (The Great Gatsby 00:52:40-00:54:40).
At the same time, the movie echoes Fitzgerald and shows that illusions can be risky. The image created by Gatsby makes him seem on top of the world; however, he fails. The same happens to the image created by Daisy, who disappears after the car accident. In this way, the movie accurately shows the characters’ illusiveness. Moreover, it links this feature to the concept of the American Dream to strengthen the comparison and convey the central author’s message.
The American Dream
Finally, the book by Fitzgerald introduces the idea that the concept of the American Dream, in the way it is presented in the story, does not make people happy. Cogitating on this idea and its importance to the world where the main characters live, the author makes Nick say, “Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder” (Fitzgerald 54). He means that only America gives people an opportunity to become successful and rich without having money or being a part of a wealthy and influential family.
This is the essence of the American Dream, and many other people want to be successful. However, the book shows that it does not make people happy. Gatsby, who attained success, dies, and Myrtle, who had her dream, is hit by Daisy, symbolically showing the disillusionment and corrupted nature of the American Dream.
The movie also focuses on this message and cultivates this idea. All of Gatsby’s parties embody the American Dream. When Nick first arrives there, he sees luxurious settings and signs of vast amounts of money spent on cars, people’s clothes, decorations, and drinks (The Great Gatsby 00:23:53-00:25:27). However, most people there are not happy, as they lie, pretend to be other individuals, cheat, and are obsessed with money.
Gatsby, who personifies the world of wealthy and successful people, seems happy initially. However, he dies in his giant house, which does not give him a happy life. In such a way, the movie supports Fitzgerald’s idea about the death of the American Dream and its ability to make people happy. Gatsby dies, Daisy disappears, and only Nick continues to live his own life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrmann, is a faithful adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. It skillfully develops the concept of illusions, the American Dream, and its failure by utilizing the setting and character symbolism. Understanding the concepts of wealth, money distribution, and people’s desire to migrate to a different social class is made easier by the contrast between the working-class world and the upper-class world portrayed in the film.
Understanding the key characters’ motifs and behaviors requires the movie to portray them close to their book counterparts. The backdrop, the major characters, and their actions all have an illusory quality that contributes to the realization that the American Dream does not guarantee happiness. The death of Jay Gatsby, the personification of this concept, is crucial to comprehending Fitzgerald’s main point.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, Scott. The Great Gatsby. Independently Published, 2022.
The Great Gatsby. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013.