THE GREAT GATSBY

(144 min, 1974)
Director: Jack Clayton
Writer: Francis Ford Coppola
Stars: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, Sam Waterston
More Info: Based on beloved American novel of the same name by the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Stick to the book.

The Great Gatsby begins with the narrator, Nick Carraway, coming to New York having lived his life further West in America. The film largely focuses on infidelity, superficiality, the upper classes, time and money. It is an unconventional love story at heart regarding the title character, Gatsby, and Nick's married cousin, Daisy however, the book is also considered a scathing social commentary about life in the Jazz Age.

The characterisation of Daisy on film pales in comparison to the Daisy of Fitzgerald's pages. A lot of the author's close friends considered the character to be based upon his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald who, like Daisy, initially considered Scott to be unworthy of marrying her. It was not until his first book sold well that she eventually married him. Farrow's portrayal seems to lack the cold, ruthless edge that the character is revealed to have over the course of the novel. I mean, the woman slept with another man behind her husband's back! Nowadays, it could easily be featured on an episode of Jeremy Kyle or Maury however, such things were considered much more immoral and socially unacceptable then. In the novel, Daisy is not seen again after Gatsby's death which leaves the reader with the impression that her attitude to his death is one of nonchalance. The Daisy of Clayton's film seems emotional about his death and it appears she tries to fill her time with unnecessary chores in an attempt to deny that Jay Gatsby no longer lives. When writing the script, Francis Ford Coppola may have thought that this would give the audience closure however, it appears to come across as an unnecessary scene.

 
There is an immediate emphasis on the belongings and materialism of the characters involved. This is perfectly represented through the opening credits which feature scenes of empty rooms filled with sparkling objects such as the below image of Jay's car. It is perhaps later emphasised through the mise-en-scene as Gatsby brings a silver tea set to Nick's house and places it in front of him. As the objects are in the foreground, they can be considered to be of more importance than Nick who sits further back proving that Gatsby chooses to favour belongings over people. Critics have attributed this to Jay's relationship with Daisy, stating that he does not love her but instead wants her like a possession or prize. Jay comments that her voice is 'full of money' and that he took her 'because he could', Freud would suggest that his subconscious urges are manifesting through his speech and revealing his true repressed desires.

Although this adaptation should be praised for it's commitment to the original text, the interpretation at times feels dull through it's poor execution of Fitzgerald's wonderful characters. Subtleties such as the author's emphasis on colour have been strictly followed with Daisy's white roadster, white dresses and Jay's vibrant suits and yellow cars however, unfortunately, the narrative is not as vivid as the clothes worn by the protagonist.

2/5

L.A. Overton 

SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK

Song: Misirlou

Artist: Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

Films: Pulp Fiction (1994)

PAN'S LABYRINTH

Also known as El Laberinto del Fauno
(119 min, 2006)
Director: Guillermo del Toro 
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones and Ariadna Gil
More Info: In Spanish however English subtitles available

Not a fairy-tale for children!

Ofelia is the young step-daughter to a sadistic Army Captain in 1944's fascist Spain. She makes contact with a fairy who guides her to an old faun in the ruins of a labyrinth. He believes she is the reincarnation of their beloved princess however, to prove herself she must first undergo three difficult tasks. Failing these will mean she is not their Princess and will never see her father, the King, again.

Doug Jones portrays both the Faun and the Pale Man in the film, having already starred as Abe Sapien in del Toro's Hellboy and it's sequel. The director allegedly sent Jones an email in regards to playing Pan saying "You must be in this film. No one else can play this part but you". Jones' characters are incredibly brought to life through both his wonderful acting and their imaginative costumes. Doug Jones stands at over six foot in height however he had to wear stilts as the Faun, increasing his height to almost seven foot. How he managed to still deliver a convincing performance whilst focussing on balancing is beyond me. Throughout the film, I found myself asking what are the Faun's true intentions? Were he real, he could act as a vehicle to help Ofelia escape from the oppression of the Captain and horror of her life however his tale is too far-fetched for reality. This contrast is played upon throughout the entire film, even the ending, causing you to speculate further whilst leaving the cinema.

I found the film surprisingly focussed on war and shockingly violent at times; I almost felt uncomfortable during some scenes. Captain Vidal was played surprisingly well by Sergi Lopez who previously had mainly starred in comedic roles. The character was so wonderfully written that even his tortured relationship with his father failed to evoke any empathy from me. Also, the actress who played Ofelia was remarkable. For an eleven year old to produce such a haunting, convincing performance is amazing; del Toro definitely picked the right actress. It's nice to see child actors getting to do more of the heavy acting jobs as opposed to being restricted to children's films. The gruesome violence witnessed through a child's perspective really brings an awareness to the atrocities of war and juxtaposes the innocence of Ofelia with the sinister cruelty of Captain Vidal.

Do not be fooled, this isn't anything like Jim Henson's film Labyrinth (1986) starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. That is a light hearted adventure aimed at children whereas Guillermo del Toro has produced a beautiful, haunting story proving fairy tales aren't exclusively for children.

SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK

Song: By The Sea

Artist: Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp

Films: Sweeney Todd (2007)

SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK

Song: You Make My Dreams

Artist: Hall & Oates

Films: The Wedding Singer (1998), Step Brothers (2008), (500) Days of Summer (2009)

TIM BURTON'S CINEMATIC INFLUENCES

At a time in film when originality is becoming increasingly difficult to come by, one man has maintained the uniqueness of his visions. From Tim Burton’s early poetry, sketches and short films there is a particular style present. His blend of German Expressionism, the Gothic and the Surreal have been collectively dubbed as “Burton-esque”.

Above: Cabinet Des Dr Caligari (1929)

German Expressionism clearly influenced the iconography used in the work of Tim Burton. The 1929 film Cabinet Des Dr Caligari features settings remarkably similar to that of Burton’s in their crooked features and imperfect architecture. This imprecise, rough style is reminiscent of some of Burton’s concept art, which is then translated onto film.

Above: A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Because the films were in black and white, lighting became very important in German Expressionism. Low key lighting was used at times when the plot became dark while high key lighting was featured at joyous points of the film. This also meant costumes were limited in that a range of colours could not be used. Black was typically associated with the villain while white helped to signify the hero or often the female love interest. This would have been because the black already had connotations of darkness and villainy while white represented purity and innocence. Tim Burton also uses these colours significantly throughout his own films. An example of this is the clothing of A Nightmare Before Christmas’s (1993) protagonist Jack Skellington. His apparel features both black and white perhaps in a way to represent the inner conflict the character is facing. Skellington has to publicly be an evil figure while his personality is actually quite sweet and caring. Black is used more predominantly in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands (1990). This could be because the audience is meant to expect such a monstrous creature to be evil, an idea that is enhanced by the title character wearing black. This juxtaposition between Scissorhands’ appearance and personality causes Burton’s film to challenge the audience’s perception of appearances.

Even the acting in Burton’s films appears to have been influenced by this cinematic movement. Initially, films were silent meaning a lot of the acting had to be very over-the-top and expressive (hence the moniker of German Expressionism). Nowadays, acting does not need to be as over-the-top as it once did. Perhaps this is one reason why Burton’s films feature such outlandish characters to compensate for the excessive acting.

Above: Charlie and the Chocolate Factor (2005)

Although Burton insists that his work is not dark, a lot of it does abide by the conventions of the Gothic genre. One example of this is the narrative of the loner or misunderstood character of which at least one can be found in every Burton film. Perhaps Burton’s greatest example of this is his interpretation of Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In Burton's film, Wonka represses painful childhood memories turning him into a child-like adult, an idea not in the original film or book. It is typical of Gothic characters to want to be free from the repressions put on them by society although Wonka does not appear to be one who is in keeping with the ideas of society.

Sweeney Todd definitely abides by Gothic conventions. Burton’s portrayal of Mrs Lovett and Lucy Barker represent typical stock Gothic characters. Barker is the wide-eyed, naïve woman which is perhaps perfectly depicted in her death scene. During this, she is simply attempting to warn Todd of Mrs Lovett however Todd despite her intentions, Todd decides to kill her. Lovett however has been given physical characteristics of the femme fatale in that she has dark hair and red lips with an independent attitude who lusts after the male and lures him to his demise. After all, it is she who suggests to Todd that they murder the men and cook them.

Above: Concept art for Vincent (1982)

One of Burton’s more unlikely influences comes in the form of Disney. This could stem from Burton’s brief time spent in Disney’s animation department working on The Fox and The Hound (1981). Burton’s unusual style never fit in with that of Disney’s however he did get the opportunity to create his own short films while working there. The first of these was Vincent (1982), a film based on a poem previously written by Burton about a young boy wishing to mimic his hero Vincent Price. 

THE FLUCTUATING INTEREST IN SUPER HEROES ON FILMS

Since the start of the twenty first century, superhero films have became more mainstream. They have not only produced unforeseen profit from high ticket and DVD sales but also have received acclaim from critics. This sub genre of fantasy films has deviated away from it’s originally niche market of the stereotypical comic book nerds to reach a wide audience. The comic industry’s biggest publishers, Marvel and DC, now compete in film as well as in their traditional market of comics. DC used to dominate but in the past decade, Marvel have produced more consistent successes.

Above: Superman serial (1948)

In the 1940s, comic books were adapted into black and white serials. These aired in the cinema before the main feature. They were segmented into usually more than ten chapters of roughly fifteen minutes per episode. In an attempt to keep audiences interested in both the story and returning to the cinema, cliffhanger storylines were often introduced at the end of each episode. This prompted the audience to want to know what happened next, enticing them to return. The success of these serials on young audiences prompted the creation of such famous children’s TV shows as Batman and The Adventures of Superman. However, interest in Saturday serials began to decline and in 1953 the comic book industry underwent legal battles against claims that they were glorifying violence. These issues brought an end to the serials.

The unforgettably camp 1966 Batman film starring Adam West in the title role was the only successful superhero film to emerge after the end of serials. It wasn’t for another twelve years until the sub genre begun to accumulate interest again. 1978 saw the return of Superman (played by Christopher Reeve) to the big screen in the first major superhero feature. Two subsequent Superman films were also released however neither was as successful as the original as they earned significantly less at the box office each time. However, the original Superman’s success provoked the release of other superhero films such as Tim Burton’s Batman (earning $411,348,924) and Batman Returns ($266,822,354). Marvel also released some films around this time such as The Punisher (1989) and Captain America (1991) however their earnings were horrendously bad.

Above: X-Men (2000)

The sub genre flourished again in the 2000s. The Wachowski Brothers’ The Matrix (1999) received $463,517,383 making it an unexpected box office smash. This caused a huge inflation in interest in superhero movies. Marvel had their first cinematic success in the form of Bryan Singer’s X-Men released in 2000. Marvel followed this with other successes including Spider-Man (2002), Daredevil (2003) and Iron Man (2009). The past decade, DC haven’t been as prominent as they once were however they did create the enormously successful Christopher Nolan directed Batman Begins trilogy. The second of the films, The Dark Knight, caused great press interest before it’s release, principally for the death of Heath Ledger. This may have contributed in making the film become one of the highest grossing movies of all time. The Dark Knight also gained critical acclaim and became the most nominated super hero movie in the Academy Awards.

This being said, Marvel and DC have had their fair amount of flops as well. DC’s Catwoman (2004) starring Halle Berry was nominated for seven Golden Rasperry nominations, a comedic award show for the worst films of the year. Since it’s release, Berry has gone on to speak honestly about her opinions on Catwoman including calling it a “shit, God-awful movie”. One year later, Marvel released Elektra to very negative reviews and the least grossing movie of a Marvel character since Howard the Duck. Interestingly, both of the films feature a female central protagonist. This could be why DC are delaying a movie based on one of their most popular characters, Wonder Woman.

Above: The Incredibles (2004)

This interest in superhero films caused the creation of new, original heroes for the big screen providing the audience with a break from comic book adaptations. Not a company to miss out on the chance to monopolize on audience interest, Pixar released their own superhero film in the form of The Incredibles (2004). This was hugely popular gaining $631,442,092 at the box office and being nominated for numerous awards.

Arguably the most highly anticipated upcoming superhero film, The Avengers, is set for 2012 release and has already begun filming. This sees the joining of Marvel’s past summer blockbuster hits forming a team comprising of Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and The Hulk. A similar endeavor is rumoured to be aimed for by DC which will include Batman, Superman and The Green Lantern in The Justice League. However nothing official about this has been confirmed.

After such a turbulent past, it’s hard to predict the future of this particular sub genre. Due to their increasing popularity, I’m inclined to believe that super hero films will continue to be celebrated by critics, audiences and fans alike.