MUCH TO DO ABOUT GATSBY

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW


You could call this more of a literary examination, but I guess you can include it for the film. Which makes sense as this is a CineFile site. you can also think of this more as a personal essay, With commentary as well as getting to me me a bit more.

As might be known by now my movie reviews tend to dip into more personal aspects which interests some and repels others. I am just letting it be known that this essay is more examining the story and contemporary as well as maybe universal love stories and romance.

Keep in mind it has been many years since I last read the book. It is one of my Favorites and is not forgotten in large part by me. It’s a book that stays with you and introduced me to the beauty of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing. Before I even read the book I knew of his legend and tragedy. Reading the book showed me the proof that informed the legend. It all started with an off Hand comment by my mother (Who Hasn’t Read The Book) after watching Baz Luhrman’s take on THE GREAT GATSBY.

My mother once told me I am like Jay Gatsby from the book THE GREAT GATSBY In behavior as I am one to more or less treat or spoil my friends and hen grow a party and let them enjoy while I hang back or care more about their enjoyment. Though with a few drinks I have been known to become the life of the party (Or so I’m told) And also I am the type to go overboard trying to impress and endear a woman I like to me. I can admit that I lack the finances and sense of adventure of the character at least in my younger years. Like most mothers mine is a cheerleader like some of my friends. She looks at this middling mess and like my friends see something where as I only see or feel a nugget of potential.

As you can see I have the whole self deprication thing down. Not quite as smooth as a jodeci song from back in the day, but i’m getting there.

Don’t get me wrong Fitzgerald is a writer that I don’t even have a chance of being as good as.I mean look at the punctuation of my other writing. We only would be lumped together by me making us and maybe alphabetically.

While I love being identified with a classic literary character. I would prefer to be an original my own character.

Just as many of us see ourselves as Holden Caulfield in the book A CATCHER IN THE RYE, Due to the rebelliousness and individual nature seems so familiar that it strikes a chord with us and while beautifully written. It also exposes the lead s just as bad as the people he condemns though at the end some feel he is locked up unfairly, Though most forget that fact. It reveals him to be a sociopath, just a more passive one which might remind us of ourselves that we would not admit.

The story is a kind of fairy tale with realistic parameters and a moral somewhat. That ends in tragedy.

I guess I truly am like GATSBY where as if I had the money I am the type to throw parties to impress and gain wealth and success not only to impress but to be generous and do it all for my friends and for someone I love a woman who I think the world of and tells me what I want to hear and has feelings for me, but is ultimately a user and not deep and when it get's rough leaves me.

Think about it he does all these things for her to make her happy and even though he has a kind of creepy plan for their shared future it's innocent and pure. Then when it is time to become real ad for her to take a stand not only does she weaken and run from her previous convictions, but kills a person hitting them with Gatsby's car and even though he is willing to take the rap for her if his cover up doesn't work. She still chooses Tom who she has previously said she hated over him as they are both monsters and recognize that on one another, only she believes she is not.

So in the End THE GREAT GATSBY is a love story even though for GATSBY a one sided one as we see the depths of his love. But he other great love story is between Nick Carraway and GATSBY. As Nick leaves his ideals of old money and falls for a new experience he is not used to. Plus the Love story of Tom and daisy as they deserve one another Tom is an outright monster. While daisy hides her evil under a sweet misguided cover. Nick is the only one to stay by Gatsby’s side throughout, Also in the book notice the way Nick describes men with such candor and detail. The details could be read as being from a romance novel. Where as when it comes to Nick Describing women he compares them to men and is short and to the point about their looks and description, with no second thought.

Others in the book are corrupt by nature. Gatsby is corrupt for a reason. His eye on the prize. He did it for love. Most crimes are done out of the same feelings of love and/or lust. Gatsby feels the need to have power and wealth. Jus t to be equal whereas just the fact he is willing to do it for the epic flirtation seen as love proves the strength of his character to be more than any other character. Though for his weakness of foresight and obvious lack of self worth and confidence is his downfall.

The reason readers feel it is a love story is that it is a thinly veiled inspiration of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s troubled love affair with his wife daisy which was sweet and tumultuous and upon further investigation ended horribly, Ruining them both. I Mean they both put on a facade, but at least with GATSBY we get To know his interior somewhat.

While it ends a tragedy some might see it as based on Fitzgerald’s tortured romance with his wife Zelda. That helps give it a greater significance.

Now with the film being a hit and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It will be like MOULIN ROUGE and TITANIC a big screen love story that lat the ages, or at least be well remembered as a tragic love story without anybody ever closely examining and analyzing it. The book used to be something disposable for high school students or a book you discover in college and exposes you to gifted writing. Sure some who read it got lost in the literary romance, yet it still stayed small scale. Now with the film it’s influence is global though now kids will line up to read it in school actually excited about it. If they don’t suggest it to the teacher themselves.

To tell the truth another reason I delved so deeply back into examining the story was that a female friend of mine saw this film after reading the book and started posting how she wanted her own Gatsby and it made me realize if a grown woman saw the story this way. Who knows who else saw it in the same light, Influencing a younger generation. I have no problem with them believing in love, Just not tainted one’s the media and life will provide that lesson all too easily.

So while there is something there it was rare and short and ultimately ended up destroying both as they were bad for each other.

And as some women say they want a GATSBY, of course as he is he attentive romantic ideal willing to give his all back then most women would jump at the chance. Today's woman would suspect something is wrong or he's a pushover or too soft, Or clingy. Sort of like when women describe the perfect man and proceed to date a Guy totally not like that. Yet miss the Irony when wondering why their girlfriends date jerks. It all boils Down to we never know what we like until we experience it or it's too late. Perfection looks great by until you experience it firsthand you never know how it will make you feel.

So while you want one, the real question is would you appreciate him and what he is willing to do for you out of love or would you be like daisy. Love it at first as your fantasies are met but once it becomes real and you have to put in more of an effort and devote yourself wouldn't become too real from the dream and run? I can tell you from my experience trying to be a GATSBY with ladies. I end up in the same fate only instead of getting the illusion of love or dating. I just get to spend time with them. I realize I am partly to blame, but not the only guilty party.

I won't go into how it ties Ito the magical golden vajayjay rule. Except to say it's all about confidence.

Look at it this way the story is like a feel good song where the only feel good part is the beginning and some touching moments of nostalgia. The main message is supposed to be that you survived everything. While looking back on most of it. It was miserable but you were blinded by hindsight and love.

Then again I could just be a bitter cynical romantic.

Just a thought