Do You See What I See?
Will Rogers once said, “You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Capturing the audience in the first few moments is crucial; without a grand opening, the ending is pointless. Directors’ careful decisions regarding precise details, particularly in the opening of a film, can cause viewers to interpret films in various ways. With such a successful novel like The Great Gatsby, two directors accepted the challenge of bringing this novel to the big screen. Using color choices to show symbolism, developing the storyline through setting and props, and the introduction of Nick Carraway are imperative in how much or how little the films will differ from the novel. The 1974 and 2013 film versions often support …show more content…
The mansion is filled with deep, affluent wood circumvented by neutral colors. The director opted to keep the entire opening of the film in very low contrast. That is, until the tour perpetuates into Gatsby’s bedroom. Nearly all of Gatsby’s paraphernalia are stamped with a gold ‘J.G.’, further alluding to Gatsby’s wealth and class before he is introduced to the audience. When the audience leaves the Gatsby mansion, they watch the narrator, Nick Carraway, take a boat across the dull, calm blue water. Waiting for Nick is Tom Buchanan wearing a blue shirt riding in on a brown horse—a color that follows Tom throughout the opening of the film. The blue exemplifies his deep sorrow that will develop as Daisy rekindles her love with Gatsby, while the brown denotes his boldness as a character. Daisy’s introduced as angelic and pure, encircled by bright white. Perhaps the most eminent symbolism through the utilization of colors in The Great Gatsby is the green light. The green light is symbolic of Gatsby’s hope in reviving his love with Daisy. However, disappointment set in when this director chose to keep the green light diminutive and contained rather than vivid and eye-catching. Gatsby’s hope in his relationship is grand and prodigious; the green light should reflect that. Corresponding with the novel, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are piercing blue on a shaded grey billboard. The only sign of true color in the grey covered Valley of Ashes are the eyes, sanctioning them to stand out and be more prominent and descried to the viewers. When Myrtle is introduced, her attire is covered in innumerable shades of lush reds. Red, being the color of lust and love, further develops the affair between Tom and Myrtle. In this sense, the director had one leg up on Fitzgerald whom elected to dress Myrtle in blue. Since Myrtle is Tom’s lover, it is only suitable she is covered in the
Will Rogers once said, “You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Capturing the audience in the first few moments is crucial; without a grand opening, the ending is pointless. Directors’ careful decisions regarding precise details, particularly in the opening of a film, can cause viewers to interpret films in various ways. With such a successful novel like The Great Gatsby, two directors accepted the challenge of bringing this novel to the big screen. Using color choices to show symbolism, developing the storyline through setting and props, and the introduction of Nick Carraway are imperative in how much or how little the films will differ from the novel. The 1974 and 2013 film versions often support …show more content…
The mansion is filled with deep, affluent wood circumvented by neutral colors. The director opted to keep the entire opening of the film in very low contrast. That is, until the tour perpetuates into Gatsby’s bedroom. Nearly all of Gatsby’s paraphernalia are stamped with a gold ‘J.G.’, further alluding to Gatsby’s wealth and class before he is introduced to the audience. When the audience leaves the Gatsby mansion, they watch the narrator, Nick Carraway, take a boat across the dull, calm blue water. Waiting for Nick is Tom Buchanan wearing a blue shirt riding in on a brown horse—a color that follows Tom throughout the opening of the film. The blue exemplifies his deep sorrow that will develop as Daisy rekindles her love with Gatsby, while the brown denotes his boldness as a character. Daisy’s introduced as angelic and pure, encircled by bright white. Perhaps the most eminent symbolism through the utilization of colors in The Great Gatsby is the green light. The green light is symbolic of Gatsby’s hope in reviving his love with Daisy. However, disappointment set in when this director chose to keep the green light diminutive and contained rather than vivid and eye-catching. Gatsby’s hope in his relationship is grand and prodigious; the green light should reflect that. Corresponding with the novel, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are piercing blue on a shaded grey billboard. The only sign of true color in the grey covered Valley of Ashes are the eyes, sanctioning them to stand out and be more prominent and descried to the viewers. When Myrtle is introduced, her attire is covered in innumerable shades of lush reds. Red, being the color of lust and love, further develops the affair between Tom and Myrtle. In this sense, the director had one leg up on Fitzgerald whom elected to dress Myrtle in blue. Since Myrtle is Tom’s lover, it is only suitable she is covered in the