Link to the scene:The Green light scene
The Great Gatsby was written by F.Scott Fitzgerald in 1925, it follows the summer of 1922 in Long Island. It was converted into a film most recently in 2013; not the first time but quite possibly the best. This production was directed Baz Luhrmann who has directed other successful films based on classic writing, such as Romeo and Juliet With stars such a Leonardo DiCaprio playing the main role of Jay Gatsby it was inevitable to do well and it bought $351 Million to the box office, winning 27 major awards.
The most significant motif in The great Gatsby is of course the green light at the end of Daisy's dock, it is by far the most significant symbol in the novel and film. The green light to Gatsby represents his everlasting dream, Daisy. The American dream at this time would have been to achieve wealth and success, however Gatsby already had this with a grand house which sits opposite Daisy's. For Gatsby's dream to be complete he needs Daisy, for he is hopelessly in love with her. The green light represents Daisy as it seems close enough to touch however it is an "unattainable dream". It can be seen alternatively on a positive level as it could be a symbol of guidance towards Daisy in a dark time. Gatsby is a titular character as he does not realise that he shouldn't be be wasting his life trying to win Daisy back as five years have passed and she has a new life as well as a husband. However Gatsby does not see it like this, he refuses to give up and devotes his entire life to winning her back.
The green light is shown in different manners using several different techniques to show Gatsby's undying hope for his and Daisy's romance to re-kindle. The idea that the green light at the end of Daisy's dock represents how close or far Gatsby is to Daisy is illustrated to the audience by variation of the intensity and position of the green light. For example when the green light is shining bright and
Yet another alternative interpretation of the green light could be how it represents how special Daisy is to Gatsby as like an expensive emerald stone, she is worth a lot, a 'true gem'. Although it could inferred as Gatsby is still the poor boy he once was and therefore he can't have Daisy. The line ' you won't find him, this house and everything in it. A disguise.' This suggests his money and success is purely just a mask covering who he was in a bid to win Daisy back. The line 'rich girls don't marry poor boys' in the film back this point up. Even Gatsby himself admits the life he built for himself was not just for him but for Daisy as he knew she would come back to him however he knew he had to build a life that was suitable for her. This idea is later reinforced when Gatsby is speaking about his life 'my life old sport, has got to be like this *points to a green shooting star*' This could portray the green light not only symbolises many things for Daisy but also Jay's life, his wealth and success. If he does not have Daisy, what does he really have?
In this shot, we can see Gatsby reaching out to touch the green light, this highlights to the audience how close Gatsby feels to the light. The light to Gatsby is Daisy, the green light signifies how close or far Gatsby is from Daisy. The shot being held over Gatsby's shoulder creates a sense of empathy for the audience as this shot puts us in his position as we start to understand the symbolism behind this motif. Also in this shot we can see Gatsby's expensive emerald ring, however the light is shining more bright than this gemstone. This could symbolise how his need for Daisy's love outshines all his wealth and success.
The green light features in the film when Daisy has her cousin Nick Carraway to visit, although the first scene of the green light is at the beginning of the opening sequence which shows it's importance. The cousins are in the garden and this is when the green light is first captured. In this scene Nick and Daisy separate in opposite directions, both moving out of the shot, this creates a sense of them moving away so the audience can see the green light. When Daisy say's 'fast' the camera speed quickens as it glides through the gardens, however when it reaches the green light it slows down, this highlights the importance of this symbol to the audience and encourages them to consider what its importance may be. The camera glides around the green light and an effect is used to make it seem almost as though it is shining in the audiences eyes; beautiful to look at but at the same time almost uncomfortable, reflecting Gatsby and Daisy's relationship. Smooth, romanticised music plays when the shot playing is gliding over the lake between Daisy and Gatsby's house. This creates a sense that something has happened between these two households as it is almost as though the green light is gliding across and leading the audience to Gatsby's house.
The significance of the green light however changes, when Gatsby's dream is crushed. This is the turning point for the green light, it stops being just Gatsby's lone symbol and takes on a universal role. Instead of signifying Daisy and the life he built for her it now signifies the unreachable dream that lives inside of people, it portrays everyones internal struggle. This juxtaposes it's first appearance as it then signified love however after Gatsby's death the green light highlights how everything is not quite the perfect image and everyone has a struggle despite the mask of no imperfections.
To conclude, the green light is captured in the opening sequence which highlights the importance of this motif however throughout the film the symbolism changes dramatically, taking a transition from an optimistic and hopeful dream to the dire reality that exists. At first the green light is seen to be purely just a symbol of Daisy's and Gatsby's relationship or lack of, it is the attainable dream of Gatsby building a life to win Daisy back. The green light seems to be as close to Daisy as Gatsby can get, this is why he is seen reaching out as if he can almost touch it. However throughout the film this is seen to change, the green light take a sinister turning and is seen to represent an internal struggle in everyone and is no longer the intimate unknown communication between Gatsby and Daisy, it takes on the role of becoming a symbol for other people instead of just Gatsby and Daisy. This could be the shattering knowledge of their relationship coming out into the open and how it changed both their lives for the worst.
This is a fantastic post - you explore in detail the significance of the motif in the film; your language is sophisticated and you demonstrate a good understanding of the use of motifs. Well done! Target: how will you integrate motifs into your film?
ReplyDelete