The Theme Of Reality In The Great Gatsby

In a society that prizes the accumulation of wealth, there is a reliance upon materialistic possessions as a representation of an individual’s worth. Money becomes a measure of accomplishment and has the ability to alter a person’s sense of reality. F. Scott Fitzgerald depicts the elite characters in The Great Gatsby as a reckless population who construct an illusion based upon the capabilities of the wealth that blinds them. By deserting morality and shifting their focus on the acquisition of wealth and objectification of others, these pursuits become superficial and characterize the flamboyant 1920s society as shallow. Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby effectively captures the frivolity of a wealthy upper class, nevertheless, the genuine portrayal of Gatsby and Daisy’s love hinders, but does not overshadow Fitzgerald’s commentary that the dependence upon material pursuits creates a destructive fantasy. The cinematography of Gatsby’s party reflects its pompous nature as an idealized display of wealth and the recklessness of an elite society that accepts it. With high angle and birds-eye view shots to capture the full essence of the party, Luhrmann creates a detached view that elevates the affair as a glamorous spectacle, albeit a shallow one. The angles emphasize Gatsby’s mansion, granting wealth dominance over the partygoers whose faces are often unidentifiable. The scene devalues the partygoers to the point of insignificance in comparison to the boastful landscape, revealing the allure of wealth and its control over the upper class’ lifestyle. The people’s focus on Gatsby’s possessions of wealth reinforces the artificiality of society’s elite as their lifestyle centers upon the manufactured entertainment that the party embodies. They idealize wealth and rely on it to create their version of happiness, characterizing the elite as an ignorant population. In the text, Nick vocalizes this sense of spectacle. Under the influence, the party he perceives as trivial turns “significant, elemental, and profound” (Fitzgerald 47). Alcohol is the source of Gatsby’s income, a manifestation of his wealth. For Nick and the partygoers, drinking removes their state of mind from reality to a meaningful fantasy world, revealing another distorting effect of wealth. The crowd’s reliance upon the drink and the wealth it symbolizes to alter their perception of happiness reflects the widespread desire for an alternate and manufactured reality. These similarities reduce the partygoers from distinct individuals to insignificant pieces of a large crowd. They ignore their personal realities and cannot control themselves in the face of wealth. While material possessions allow them to retreat into an idealized fantasy, it is ultimately without value because fantasy is not real. Similarly, cinematography characterizes Gatsby as a man who relies on wealth to fabricate an elaborate façade. The simultaneous burst of colorful fireworks with Gatsby’s introduction of himself establishes the spectacle of Gatsby’s party as an extension of his persona. As bright …show more content…
During the tour of Gatsby’s mansion, Luhrmann pictures multiple facets of the mansion, all grand in its spaciousness and lavish architecture. Directly after these establishing shots, he employs camera tilts to capture the joy that Daisy and Gatsby display. By suggesting simultaneous action, the movement emphasizes the direct ties of the mansion’s wealthy décor with Gatsby and Daisy’s elegant relationship. As the camera tilts downward and upward from the scene to the couple, the motions trap their joy within the confines of the mansion’s grand appearance. Meanwhile, with the conflicting meanings of upward and downward movement, Luhrmann reveals Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship to be both joyous and vulnerable. The wealth that surrounds them stands as a constant reminder of its role in manufacturing the couple’s happiness, while obscuring their incompatibility and their moral indiscretions as an illicit couple. They abandon reality and live in a fantasy of happiness. In the novel, Nick mentions that Gatsby himself “revalued everything in his house” (91) to suit Daisy’s awed reactions to his mansion. Gatsby determines his own worth as dependent upon Daisy’s appreciation of it, revealing the key role of wealth in Gatsby’s fantasy of her. He connects the objects of his house with his fixation on Daisy and manipulates his perception of his wealth to suit her desires. Due to his skewed vision of material, Gatsby loses touch with reality, spurring him to accumulate more value in his already illustrious fortune. He adjusts his opinions to fulfill the desires of Daisy, ultimately reducing his person to a mere