While watching the 2013 Great Gatsby I was, once again, struck
by the larger than life scenes that are so reminiscent of the book and setting
of the story. The roaring twenties were a time of unprecedented prosperity and
material excess in America, as shown in the story. Everything of that time came
in excess and, for the upper classes depicted, was filled with extravagance.
Reading The Great Gatsby is a task of
wading through rich descriptions and somewhat dramatic language. There is a
feel to the novel that reflects the time Fitzgerald is writing about.
In the film, there are many scenes
that are simply larger than life. You might call them staged or over dramatic.
For example, when Nick first meets Gatsby there is a huge amount of build up to
the final “movie star reveal,” as we called it in class. We are given hints
that the man Nick is talking to is Gatsby to the point that we know who he’s
making a fool of himself in front of. We get a glimpse of Gatsby’s ring, we
hear the classic, “Old Sport,” and we know DiCaprio’s voice. Finally, he
introduces himself, smiles, and fireworks go up behind him as a voiceover
quotes the novel in describing Gatsby’s smile.
Just before
this scene is a montage of the party as Nick experiences it. The viewer is
shown the carelessness and exuberance of the party. The scene comes to a
conclusion as the camera drops down on Nick and Jordan as they dance on the platform
in the middle of the pool, surrounded by other dancers and partygoers. The
party is shown from different levels and different angles as if it were an
elaborate stage. This adds to the show that the parties were described as in the
novel while also emphasizing the fact that the roaring twenties were a time of
excess and “larger than life” living.
