Notes

The movie “The Great Gatsby” directed by Baz Luhrmann is one of the many adaptions of the original novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the movie we meet Nick Carraway who moves to New York to sell bonds after having given up on writing. In New York he is able to live closer to his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, who is married to one of his college friends, Tom Buchanan, whom later finds out along with Nick is having an affair with one of his mistresses. Little does Nick know that when he moves, his house was next to that of the infamous new millionaire Jay Gatsby, whom people knew very little about. One day Nick is invited to one of Gatsby’s famous parties, only to find out that he is the only person ever invited and no one at the party knows what Gatsby looks like; they only assume from the rumors having been told by others. At the party however, Nick is able to meet Gatsby and is surprised to see he is not what he thought he’d be, but someone who is rather unique. After having being acquainted with Gatsby and talking with one of Daisy’s friends, Jordan Baker, Nick learns that before having been sent off to war, Gatsby and Daisy were lovers. Nick then agrees to help Gatsby try and get back with Daisy only to find himself caught in a struggle between Daisy, Tom and Gatsby which leads on the tragic death of Gatsby.
There are numerous ways one can interpret this film. One way the reader can look at it is a lovesick man competing with another to win the love of a woman he once loved and lost. Another is that the millionaires of the roaring twenties lived a lavish lifestyle where only anyone who is someone can be a part of. Lastly it could be seen as how one man achieved so much only to be destroyed by his weakness, a delicate female who toyed with his heart. However this paper will take a more culturist studies approach to the way it shall interpret the film. This paper will look into the manner in which the movie “The Great Gatsby” introduces the audience to a darker side of the roaring twenties, a time where people became rich through selling drugs, as well as alcohol during prohibition in the United States.
To begin with, there is a corruption that is Jay Gatsby, who is the main character of the novel and film. Overcome by the fear of losing Daisy to Gatsby, Tom speaks to those in the room with him and claims after doing a bit of investigating on Gatsby, and he says, “See, he and this Wolfsheim, they bought a lot of drugstores and sold bootleg alcohol over the counter” (The Great Gatsby, 2013). The era in which this novel and movie adaption is related to is the Roaring Twenties, which also coincided with prohibition in the United States. According to Tom, for Gatsby to have come to wealth he had to have been involved in some kind of corruption. Afterwards, Tom goes into further detail to try to expose Gatsby as a fraud and says, “He’s just a front for Wolfsheim, a gangster… Oh no! No. We’re different” (The Great Gatsby). He then categorizes Gatsby as a gangster, who during this time were involved in the distributing of alcohol, while he is a respectable man with good morals and values for having wealth the right way. Unlike Gatsby, Tom was born into wealth, so he sees himself as a superior being from the very beginning.
Due to the money Gatsby has obtained, he was able to get some form of influence with those who have power, such as political. Jay Gatsby was never the man to invite people to his parties and one day Nick was invited to one of Gatsby’s parties and while at the party, Nick narrates what he sees, “Gossip columnists alongside gangsters and governors exchanging telephone numbers” (The Great Gatsby). The people that attend the parties that Gatsby hosts are never invited and rather famous or infamous individuals. Governors exchanging numbers with gangsters is a clear sign that they both hold some kind of influence on each other. Afterwards, while driving to an underground location, Gatsby keeps sharing with Nick the power he has gained along with wealth, and says, “I was able to do the commissioner a favor once. He sends me a Christmas card every year” (The Great Gatsby). During the era of prohibition, it is well known that along with alcohol being illegally sold, there was some form of political corruption. By getting the Commissioner to be an ally, it could be understood as Gatsby was able to sell alcohol right under the noses of the police, and they wouldn’t dare touch him.
Also, during Gatsby’s struggle to win Daisy back, Daisy ends up running Tom’s mistress over and leaves Gatsby to take the blame for her death. This then ultimately ends up with the murder of Gatsby. Gatsby explains to Nick, “You see, after we left New York, she was… she was nervous… It wasn’t her fault, Daisy. No one must know that Daisy was driving” (The Great Gatsby). During their conversation, Nick was telling Gatsby how he had killed Tom’s mistress, but then Gatsby revealed to Nick alone that he wasn’t the one driving, but Daisy. This secret that stayed between the three individuals is what ultimately leads to the death of Gatsby since everyone pins the murder onto him. After Gatsby’s death, Nick recalls how Tom, Daisy and their family had left, and criticizes them saying, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy. They smashed up things and retreated back into their money and vast carelessness” (The Great Gatsby). After Gatsby was murdered, they both packed up their things and left, without attending Gatsby’s funeral and leaving his name in chaos. Tom had gone and told George Wilson that Gatsby was the one who was having the affair with Myrtle, which was the reason he most likely ran her over. Then Daisy does not mention to anyone she was the one who was driving, she just shuts herself away, does not even care to attend his funeral. Which eventually leads to George going over to Gatsby’s house and shooting him in the back, believing the lies he’s been told by Tom for something he and Daisy were responsible for.
Gatsby’s life can also be compared to that of what the United States was during that era. The roaring twenties was a time where people lived on the edge, money was spent just to make someone look more appealing.