EOK: The Great Gatsby Comparative Essay (Essay Sample)

EOK: The Great Gatsby Comparative Essay
Q 1: In your opinion, does Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby do a good job in interpreting the F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Does he capture the heart and soul of Fitzgerald’s work or does he miss crucial aspects of it?
In May 2013, Baz Luhrmann finally released the movie The Great Gatsby ("The Great Gatsby (2013)-Plot, Details, & Awards"). It is a theoretical version of a novel by the same title authored by F Scott Fitzgerald in 1925 ("Big Read"). Since the 1920’s, this novel has received much acclaim across the world and several versions of the novel have been written. The same cannot be said of the movie, which was only released a few months ago. Going through the book and the movie, several comparisons and contrasts can be identified. For example, while the book was set in New York City and North Shore ("The Great Gatsby") in conventional America, the movie setting is in Australia, Sydney to be exact (Goundry). Location issues aside, The Great Gatsby is such a popular novel and quality work of literature that replicating its graceful nature in a movie is next to impossible.
The Free English Language Dictionary defines “heart and soul” as the “the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience” ("HEART AND SOUL"). This is the understanding this essay relies on in this analysis. Yes, there are some differences between the movie and novel, but they do not affect the interpretation Baz Luhrmann gives to The Great Gatsby in his movie. Baz Luhrmann has added some spice in the movie as compared to F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, but he has managed to capture the crucial aspects. The next section of this essay highlights some differences, and proves that movie is still in line with the heart and soul of the movie as originally authored by Scott in the 1920’s.
The plot of the movie is a good indication that the movie intends to represent the heart and soul of the novel. This is despite the fact that the movie seems to diverge as it progresses. For example, the side story about Jordan Baker and Nick does not go exactly as presented in the novel. Notably, the movie retains the line “accidentally in linen closets…” referring to the set-up created by Daisy as seen in the adaptation of the novel for stage (Dwer). However, the movie presents the issue differently, for instance, Nick sees Jordan as “Frightening” when they meet, yet the novel does not mention anything of to indicate such an impression. The novel describes her as having “slender golden arms” ("The Great Gatsby"). In addition, the conclusion of this partnership is different in the two works. In the movie, a male friend accompanies Nick as they exit, yet the novel does not talk about this. In the novel, Nick tells Jordan “…I am five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor” ("The Great Gatsby"). At this point, we see the imminent break up between the two. Although the book indicates that a break does not occur until the end summer, the core of the matter is that Jordan and Nick eventually broke up. This proves that the movie has maintained the heart and soul of the novel The Great Gatsby.
Similar to the novel, the movie comprises of set pieces. Such set pieces give a perfect area of comparison between the works. The Manhattan apartment party, which Tom holds for Myrtle is one scene where divergent representations emerge. Firstly, the explicit sexual behavior between Tom and Myrtle is not as portrayed in the novel. The novel simply says the couple disappears as Nick reads a book. It is upon the reader to conclude the goings-on as the couple disappears. The same set piece in the movie does not show the events that lead to Nick waking up at home. In the novel, Scott carefully explains how Nick left the apartment, took a train home. Again, there are clear differences in presentation and content, but this does not affect the heart and soul of the novel. The point both the movie and novel make in this instance is that there was a party, Tom and Myrtle had a romantic encounter, and Nick slept at his home.
Some people might also consider the murder of Gatsby as an area of contention when comparing the movie and the novel. There are differences in the depiction of the death, especially when you consider that the book mentions an air mattress ("The Great Gatsby), yet this is absent in the movie. Another notable instance is the initial general depiction that Gatsby will only call Daisy. However, the movie shows Nick calling and Gatsby emerging from the pool after the phone call. This plus his shooting is not depicted in the novel. However, the point made by the movie and novel is the same; Gatsby died from shooting and this happened at the poolside. Therefore, the core or gist of the novel is preserved in the movie.
This essay has strived to illuminate the differences between the novel The Great Gatsby and its...