One of the most interesting for analyze genres is drama. More specifically, this genre represents an emotionally fulfilled story about the main character’s life obstacles and their outcome on other people’s lives (Movieclips Trailer, 2013). When it comes to genre determination, this is an autonomous genre, but while analyzing the drama named “The Great Gatsby,” it discloses not only as drama but also as a literary adaptation, which is a direct sub-genre of drama. This is due to the fact that the film is an indirect adaptation of Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s book “The Great Gatsby” (Fitzgerald, 2016). In other words, the film creators took the book’s plot and implemented it in the film version by adding or subtracting some details to create the most attractive and customer-oriented film.
The film’s main characters are Nick Carraway, the storyteller, Jay Gatsby, his unexpected neighbor, Daisy, and Tom Buchanan. The film’s main idea is to represent the danger of being “whiplashed” by the one dream that one day becomes a fantasy. By dreaming for their whole life, Jay Gatsby made his fortune to become the best possible husband for Daisy. However, it was too late since she married Tom, who did not want to refuse his wife due to Jay’s unrealized fantasies. By telling the main story, Nick Carraway unintentionally describes the “beau monde” of American society in the 1920s. Technically, the film is shot on a grand scale, showing even the most exquisite details of the attire of society at the time, especially the first handmade and luxurious cars. Last but not least, the audio represents classic jazz, which was widely played at that time. However, during tense moments, it is easy to spot the emotionally intense and sad notes, conveying the underlying feelings of the characters, who feel mainly the loss of an unfulfilled dream.
References
Fitzgerald, F. S. (2016). The Great Gatsby (1st ed.). Toronto, CA: Aegitas.
Movieclips Trailer. (2013). The Great Gatsby Official UK Trailer (2013) Leonardo DiCaprio Movie HD[Video file].