Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby directed by Baz Luhrmann was a good cinematic portrayal of the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the main parts of the movie that contributed to the movies success was the soundtrack that accompanied the movie. The soundtrack was done by a collaboration of many artists such as: Beyoncé, Fergie, Will. I. Am, Jay Z, Amy Whinehouse, Sia, and many other respectable artists.

The titles of the songs portray some of the main things The Great Gatsby is all about. Some of the songs included: 100$ Bill, A Little Party Never Killed Nobody, Young and Beautiful, Love is Blindness, and many others. I think that the music that was played in the movie definitely added to the experience of watching The Great Gatsby. Also, it helped put us in the time period that The Great Gatsby would've been happening in. The song A Little Party Never Killed Nobody by multiple artists was the song that really stood out to me because it reminds me of the instruments that were used around the 1920s. I couldn't tell you what instruments are being used, due to my lack of musical awareness. But I think the song fits perfectly playing at one of Gatsby's parties, which is where the song was featured in the movie. However, even though Gatsby's parties are fun and lively there are also sad moments in the movie and book. One of them being towards the end when Gatsby realizes his chance to win Daisy over is gone. A song that helps represent this part in their relationship is Over The Love by Florence + The Machine. It plays a sad, somber melody that reminds the audience that the love is over.

The music in the movies helps us relate to the scene taking place. It makes it easier for the audience to relate to the movie through the music. Maybe we all can't relate to being at a lavish party with all of New York's extraordinary people, but we can relate to having fun with friends because like the song says ".. a little party never killed nobody.."

I think without the music the movie would have taken on a different aura. Instead of the movie portraying a love story, it would have seemed more like a stalker losing his chance to seize the lady. If there wouldn't have been romantic music playing during the interactions between Daisy and Gatsby, the movie wouldn't have been that good. So the music defiantly added a positive aspect to the movie.

4 comments:

  1. I also thought the song "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody" was a perfect fit for the film. It was modern and yet at the same time had a Twenties rhythm. The lyrics also summed up the mentality of the time period which was all about bootlegged alcohol and partying. Ultimately the sound track completed the movie and added a party vibe to the entire plot.

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  2. The musical artists definitely provided a 20's feel, while still providing people with the feeling of a truly wild party with techno beats and hip hop. When we watched clips of the version from the 70's, the smooth jazz didn't provide the party feel. A common 'theme song' was Young and Beautiful, which captured the romance of Gatsby and Daisy effectively, as well.

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  3. I totally agree with your Gatsby post Maria. The soundtrack definitely fit the theme of the film. Whenever there was some dramatic scene the music fit right in towards the scene to give it the effect that it needed. I also like your comment about the idea with the titles and the scene of the song taking place

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  4. Hello there Maria! I really liked how you included some of the song titles from the movie and then connected them to many of the themes both the novel and movie had that we had discussed about in class. I feel like this added even more to the fact that everything within "The Great Gatsby" did revolve around love and money, whether people want to believe it or not. I also agree with you went you state that the music played throughout helps us relate to the scene that is taking place. No, we may not be able to relate to the fact that we are attending lavish parties all the time, but we can relate to the fact that going out with friends and having an enjoyable time doesn't hurt anyone, like you pointed out. In my blog, I also said that without the music, the movie wouldn't have been all that it was, so I agree with your statement discussing that aspect of things as well.

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