The great Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann’s cinema: a reading of the adaptation of the homonymous novel on the American dream
uma leitura da adaptação do romance homônimo
Abstract
This study aims to conduct an analysis of the film adaptation of ‘The great Gatsby’, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, directed by Baz Luhrmann in 2013 and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The analysis is grounded in theories of adaptation, intertextuality, and comparative literature. The objective is to explore how the film translates and interprets Fitzgerald's novel, a landmark in American literature and an iconic portrayal of the 1920s, known for its unrestrained materialism, glamour, and questionable morality. The novel, released in 1925, was not immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece, despite its focus on the “crazy years” following World War I. ‘The great Gatsby’ is famous for its critique of the era's materialistic excess, something that Luhrmann seeks to capture visually and thematically in his adaptation. The film, with its extravagant use of lights, colors, and sounds, reflects the opulent lifestyle and moral decay of the era while drawing parallels with contemporary society. The research examines the fidelity and liberties taken by Luhrmann in relation to the original text, focusing on how elements such as Nick Carraway's narrative and the symbolic representation of the American dream are adapted for cinema. Luhrmann's stylistic choices, including the use of 3D, and how these dialogue with the interpretation of the novel, are also analyzed. The results indicate that Luhrmann's adaptation offers a unique perspective on the novel, highlighting its central themes while introducing new layers of interpretation. The analysis underscores the complexity of film adaptation as a creative process that, although based on a pre-existing literary work, results in an autonomous artistic creation, with its own qualities and meanings. The study highlights the importance of understanding film adaptations not as mere translations but as significant reinterpretations that contribute to the dialogue between literature and cinema.
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