1. THE GREAT GATSBY
Janet Bargmann

2. INITIAL RESPONSE…
This is my initial response to
The Great Gatsby (2013)
directed by Baz Luhrmann
based on the novel by F.
Scott Fitzgerald written in
1925.

3. GENRE…
 The Great Gatsby is mainly a drama, but also focuses on
the romance between the two characters, Jay Gatsby and
Daisy.
 It could be argued that this is therefore a hybrid of
Romance and Drama- but I think it’s mainly drama.
 Baz Luhrmann is known for making Romantic Dramas
such as Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, and Australia.

4. CODES AND
CONVENTIONS OF DRAMA
 Real life situations and realistic characters who the audience can relate to.
 Often has a journey, following the protagonist- in this case, Nick Carraway- so
we can see character development
 Sometimes there is a plot twist to catch the audience off guard (make it more
dramatic!)
 The dramatic storyline is often used to emotionally move the audience.
 Includes conflict between characters.
 The Great Gatsby is an example of a film that breaks the conventions of a
Drama, as Dramas tend to have a happy ending, whereas The Great Gatsby
doesn’t.

5. DECONSTRUCTION…
PROXEMICS:
Gatsby is in the middle, above his
name and the title of the film, so we
can immediately tell he is the main
focus of the film.
Daisy is underneath looking the
other way, suggesting her
characteristics. She is the only one
looking away from the audience. It
could imply that she feels helpless,
or confused.
MISE-EN-SCENE:
The clothing is very 1920’s, so
we can see when it is set,
especially for audiences who
haven’t read the book. The
silver font and the gold patterns
suggests wealth and money.
OTHER:
Dr T.J. Eckleburg (The blue man behind
the characters) is an important part to
the book as well as the film, so the way
he is positioned implies that he is
always there, even if people can’t see
him.
The actors in this film are very well
known- Leonardo di Caprio, and Tobey
Maguire- so people know who they are
and this can attract people to come and
see the film.

6. SCREEN SHOTS
Here, Gatsby is raising his glass in front of fireworks,
making him look welcoming and he
smiles“understandingly-much more than
understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come
across four or five times in life.” This initial shot gives us
the impression that Gatsby is a really genuine person.
(First impressions are important in this film!)
The way Daisy and Gatsby look at each other suggests
that they’ve never been happier, and it’s been too long.
He is holding her hand on his chest, which could imply
that they belong together.

7. SCREEN SHOTS
Here shows one of the parties held at
Gatsby’s mansion. The masses of
people seems to suggest that this is a
very popular occasion, which it is, but
they don’t know why the parties are
held. Gatsby dreams of meeting
Daisy again, and hopes that one day
she will walk in to his mansion and
they can be together.

8. BAZ LUHRMANN
 The Great Gatsby is one of Luhrmann’s most popular and
successful films, although getting mixed reviews from critics.
 He has a clear style of directing, which is evident from the
use of bright colours, camera angles, and even the type of
music.
 This makes it obvious that it is a “Baz Luhrmann” film
because he always sticks to these methods so people can
immediately tell that he has directed it.