The Great Gatsby (1974 Film) Essay Questions

Who wrote the screenplay and what is the story of his involvement?

While acclaimed novelist and journalist Truman Capote was originally pegged to pen the adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, he was replaced with Francis Ford Coppola, then a relatively unknown director and writer. Coppola had just finished filming what would become his magnum opus, The Godfather, but since the film had not yet been released, he had time to work on the screenplay for Gatsby. Coppola was not a huge fan of the book, but was relatively familiar with it, which gave him a freedom to adapt in exciting and unexpected ways.

Why does Jay Gatsby host such frequent parties at his estate?

Jay Gatsby hosts parties nearly every weekend that are extravagant and spare no expense, but he hardly ever joins the party himself. The recluse hosts big parties in the hope that Daisy Buchanan, his long lost love, will attend one and he will have the chance to win back her heart. The parties are, essentially, large scale romantic gestures, testaments of Gatsby's devotion and love.

What is the irony of Gatsby being shot by Wilson?

Gatsby is murdered by Wilson for running over and killing his wife, Myrtle, but Gatsby was not driving the car at the time of the crash. Myrtle was in fact killed by Daisy Buchanan, the wife of Tom, with whom she was having an affair. This in itself is ironic, but then made all the more ironic by the fact that Wilson incorrectly identifies Gatsby as the perpetrator. While the audience knows that Gatsby was not driving, Wilson (and Tom) think that Gatsby is to blame for Myrtle's death. Gatsby dies needlessly as punishment for a crime he did not commit.

How do the quick zoom-ins aid the storytelling in the film?

At certain moments, the camera closes in quickly on a character's expression, particularly in a moment of crisis or high tension. An example of a scene in which this happens a lot is the scene when Tom, Jordan, Gatsby, Daisy, and Nick all eat lunch together. Given the complicated nature of the gathering (Tom knows about Gatsby and Daisy's affair, but no one is talking about it), tensions are high and characters are feeling many different emotions. The quick zoom ins help to show the interior feelings of the characters, representing their inner turmoil and inviting the viewer to empathize with their plight.

What does Nick discover about Daisy by the end of the film?

While in the beginning of the film, Daisy seems charming, likable, and trustworthy, by the end of the film, Nick realizes that Daisy is more of a fair-weather friend than she had initially seemed. After Gatsby's death, Nick is unable to get ahold of Daisy, and he is disappointed when she sends no correspondence or flowers to commemorate the death of someone she likely would characterize as the love of her life. Nick realizes that Daisy is more concerned with her status and standing in society than she is in honoring her feelings and her sense of what is right and wrong. This realization pains him, and he sees how inconstant and careless money has made his cousin.