Chasing the Green Light

By Kevin Oyama

“The Great Gatsby” is a 2013 film released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Baz Luhrmann directed this intricate and visually stunning movie, which features star actors Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan, and Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson. 

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the release of “The Great Gatsby.” This movie is actually based on a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald 99 years ago! This movie has won multiple awards for its amazing production design and costumes, and it's not hard to see why they've won these awards after watching the film.

The story follows the life of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy and mysterious man, who throws lavish parties to rekindle a past romance with Daisy Buchanan, who is married to Tom Buchanan, leading to a future of broken dreams and a fight between Daisy's love. The movie has many scenes where viewers are constantly kept on edge, questioning the characters' motives in the story and wondering who's going to end up with Daisy in the end, creating an unpredictable and tragic ending. My Favorite scene is when we see Gatsby on the dock reaching out for a green light on the other side, symbolizing his longing for Daisy. This scene is my favorite because green symbolizes hope and wealth, which ties to Gatsby's belief that his wealth will allow him to recapture Daisy’s love.

The overall message of the movie is the delusion of the American dream, the destructive power of obsession, and the idea that the past cannot be recaptured. “The Great Gatsby” focuses on the idea that pursuit of dreams rooted in delusion lead to tragedy and emptiness. 

The key character in “The Great Gatsby” is Gatsby himself. In the movie, he's seen as a complicated character who can be likable and unlikable. What makes Gatsby a likable character is his romantic determination for Daisy as well as his generosity and charismatic personality. His unhealthy obsession with changing the past can lead to him being unlikable as well. Leonardo DiCaprio's ability to convey Gatsby's charismatic personality and his nervousness and affection for Daisy is beyond amazing. The Intense dialogue between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan towards the end of the movie shows just how amazing these actors are able to express the emotions of jealousy, betrayal, anger, and desperation. This is my favorite scene as all the characters' true personalities and emotions are being shown, revealing the movie's plot. 

What I really liked about this movie is the attention to detail and its use of different colors to symbolize different emotions and characteristics in the story. This helps the people watching the movie get a deeper understanding of the story while not making it an aspect of the movie that the viewers have to know in order to understand and watch the movie. I really enjoyed the symbolism of Gatsby’s mansion, as it shows that despite his big mansion where many people attend his parties, he still feels a sense of unfulfillment and isolation.

The movie uses lighting and weather to help the viewer understand the tone and time of the scene. Scenes where it's more gloomy have blander colors, whereas scenes that are happier tend to involve brighter colors. My favorite part of the movie where they use weather and tone to set a scene is when Gatsby is going to see daisy for the first time, it begins to rain, symbolizing the nervousness and uncertainty Gatsby is feeling and as the tensions unfolds between Daisy and Gatsby's, the rain begins to dim down and the sun begins to shine. This attention to detail is why I love this movie so much, because you can watch the movie and think nothing of these details, such as the weather change, but you can use the colors, lighting, and weather to get a deeper understanding of the feelings and emotions the characters are feeling. 

In my opinion, this movie is definitely one to watch, as it is a captivating and emotionally rich film. The film's exploration of dreams, love, and pursuit of happiness is something that everyone can resonate with. If you're a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic or just enjoy a movie that will have you on the edge, this is definitely a must-watch.