The Great Gatsby (2013) directed by Baz Luhrmann. It is adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same name. The movie deals with the superficial nature of the American Dream, in which is the notion that a man working hard can achieve it all. It is set in USA’s glamours and glitzy Jazz age (1920 -1930s).
Nick Carraway is the narrator and tells us the story of the protagonist; Jay Gatsby (Leonardo di Caprio). The conflict in the story is about grandeur, lowliness and status in the society. All of these elements combine to show the inner materialistic tendencies and superficial qualities of the characters in the movie.
There’s a mystery around Gatsby in the starting of the movie, he throws extravagant parties. Nick becomes his neighbour and friend. We get to know that Jay liked Nick’s cousin Daisy some years ago, Jay was in the army at the time and was drafted to some other place. Daisy got married to Tom, a wealthy businessman. Jay has bought this house right opposite the pier of Daisy’s and throws these parties thinking she might. Nick agrees to make Jay and Daisy meet again. Daisy along the course of the story promises Jay that she’ll leave Tom and go with Jay.
Jordan tells Nick at the beginning that Daisy throws tantrums and might curse Tom but at the end she goes back to him. Even when he cheats on her Daisy went back to him. Daisy is attached to Tom’s status and wealth. This just gets more and more evident as the movie reaches its climax. A confrontation between Tom and Jay, where Tom says the Jay earned his wealth from bootlegging. After that while going back, Daisy kills Myrtle in an accident and Jay himself takes the blame. Myrtle’s husband Wilson kills Jay in the end. No one comes to the funeral of Jay except his father and Nick. The man who threw parties where people themselves came, at his end no one did. Jay Gatsby had come from a low status and almost had it all but didn’t get his love; Daisy.