Nick’s Gatsby, Our Gatsby: Baz Luhrmann’s Film Adaptation of The Great Gatsby

Abstract

Baz Luhrmann’s taking up a recent adaptation of The Great Gatsby might have worried lovers of Fitzgerald’s novel and at a first viewing, there are many startling and perhaps discordant elements he has incorporated into the film, including hip-hop music or 3-D and CG technology and wanders much from the original text through the invention of Nick’s narrative device and exaggerated and unrealistic depiction of scenes. However, when pondering on the meanings that Luhrmann is attempting to deliver to contemporary audiences, Luhrmann’s adaptation is true to the spirit of Fitzgerald’s novel and focuses on the problem of class, the problems of modernity, and Nick’s exploration of Gatsby through his narration. By discussing these issues against Fitzgerald’s novel and the 1974 adaptation by Jack Clayton which focused on the romance between Gatsby and Daisy, this study examines these issues which figure not only importantly in the novel but are relevant for contemporary audiences. The 1974 adaptation by Jack Clayton had focused on the romance between Gatsby and Daisy and had made Nick’s narration transparent, thus making the characters one-dimensional. Gatsby is the idealized hero, powerful with his material success and the tragedy occurs due to a cowardly and self-serving Daisy. In the 2013 adaptation, the emphasis is not on character or romance, but the problems of modernity and power between classes and the problem of narration which are central layers of the Fitzgerald novel. The site of the two Eggs and New York landscape is depicted in detail through the subjective and critical eyes of Nick as narrator. The two Eggs are contrasted as the clash of the old and new money, and the Valley of Ashes is described as the wasteland that urbanity had produced. The scenes of the three parties held in the milieu of different classes are portrayed in detail through the narration of Nick and are rather subjective or even distorted. Whereas characterization seems weak in this adaptation, this is the natural result of the contrived narrative device which allows us to see characters through Nick’s conscious. The development of Nick’s narration allows Nick to narrow the distance between himself and his idea of Gatsby. Luhrmann has kept Fitzgerald’s dual vision; he encompasses both Fitzgerald’s time and ours, is keen to the problems of modernity such as the disparity between class and hollowness of materialism, but keeps us dazzled and allured to his screen of glamor and glitter.