The Great Gatsby's Death

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The scene I’ve chosen to analyze is Gatsby’s death. Luhrmann’s vision of the most tragic part of the of this story adds dimensions never seen in the original version of the story. Luhrmann makes the bold choice of making hope the last thing Gatsby has. The clip starts with Daisy picking up the phone and shows Gatsby exiting the pool while a telephone is ringing in the background. Gatsby looks across the bay towards Daisy’s house with a look of happiness and hope. Before the butler can tell him who’s calling, Mr. Wilson shoots Gatsby. Gatsby examines his wound while looking towards Daisy’s house. He whispers his last word “Daisy” before falling back into the pool. The scene is bittersweet because the audience knows Daisy is going to leave Gatsby…show more content…
The sound of the telephone is the most prominent sound of the entire clip. Luhrmann draws attention to how significant the call is, Gatsby’s entire future is based on this call. If it’s not Daisy on the other end he has lost his only purpose and to Gatsby death would be better than a world where he can’t be with Daisy. In the background you hear the muffled dialogue of the butler saying, “Gatsby’s? I know Mr. Gatsby will be very happy that you’ve called”. This dialogue confuses the viewer because we assume the butler is talking about Daisy, when it’s actually Nick on the other end of the call. The dialogue gives the viewer the idea, maybe Gatsby and Daisy will end up together despite what happens in the book. But this is cut short by the echoing of a gunshot. The sound is somewhat startling cutting off any thoughts the audience has about a happy ending. The last significant piece of audio is Gatsby’s last word, “Daisy”. This brings the viewer comfort in knowing Gatsby’s final thoughts were about the only thing that mattered to him. DiCaprio almost whispers this line which brings a sense of peace in a scene of mostly…show more content…
Luhrmann utilized CGI throughout the film to create a dreamlike state where the viewer becomes lost and disoriented in the extravagant world of the 1920’s. This shapes the viewer’s understanding of what New York is like for Nick. But during the last scene Luhrmann slows down the CGI to create a dramatic and colorful finale for Gatsby. The effect that has the greatest impact on the scene is the sped up glide cam towards Daisy’s house. This happens when Gatsby first hears the phone. It cuts from Gatsby’s face to a shot that gives us the sensation that we’re flying across the water towards Daisy. The same effect is reused after Gatsby is shot except the camera is farther away from Daisy and the glide is slowed down. As Gatsby says his final word and falls back into the pool, the camera quickly pulls away from Daisy. This effect shows how Gatsby is feeling and enhances this feeling for the viewer. The other effect is the coloring added to the scene. Luhrmann intentionally makes the pool and DiCaprio’s eyes a greenish tint. The color green plays a significant role as a motif in The Great Gatsby symbolizing Daisy, who, in some sense, represents the American Dream. Luhrmann’s choice shows us that he understands the essential themes behind The Great
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