When I read a book and a character starts singing or there is music on the story, I always try to recreate the music in my mind, even though it hardly ever resembles the song at all. Reading 'The Great Gatsby' was not different: I was trying to play an imaginary jazz song for the parties given in Gatsby's mansion.
''Jay G.''
After finishing the book I watched the film adaptation of Fitzgerald's masterpiece directed by Baz Luhrmann and it surprised me that instead of jazz it had rap music in the Original Soundtrack (OST). I thought it did not make any sense because the book is set in the 1920's in which jazz was the prominent music. That is why the 1920's were called the Jazz Age. In fact, this term was coined by Fitzgerald in the title of his 1922 collection of short stories, Tales of the Jazz Age. And as I said before I was shocked because at first I thought it was a complete waste not to use jazz to tell the story of Jay Gatsby.
''Jay-Z''
''Jay-Z''
On Luhrmann's adaptation, it can be found a special concept called anachronism, which can be defined as 'the phenomenon of out of place objects in a period piece.' In this case, there is a musical anachronism: The mixture of rap music with the 1920's. This unusual mix can lead us to the question ''Does the musical anachronism work on The Great Gatsby movie?''
Some people would say NO, because it is horrendous music, unnecessary, and does not really fit the themes the book transmits (The American Dream and its consequences, reliving of the past, and so on). Others believe that it is interesting; however, they are not used to that idea.
The first time I came across the word anachronism was watching two anime series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe in which he mixed jazz and blues in a science fiction-themed world (Cowboy Bebop) and rap music in the Edo Age (Samurai Champloo) and I believe that mixing two opposing ages would seem strange at first, however, if you know how to do it, you can get it right. Watanabe did. What about Luhrmann?
I would say that due to the fact that my music tastes are really opposed to modern hip hop music (I usually listen to metal, rock and hardcore), I am not a big fan of a Jay-Z or Beyoncé song on Gatsby's parties, but the idea itself is interesting, not so well executed, but atractive for someone who is looking for something different on a book adaptation.
Luhrmann recreating the Gatsby world.
I would say that due to the fact that my music tastes are really opposed to modern hip hop music (I usually listen to metal, rock and hardcore), I am not a big fan of a Jay-Z or Beyoncé song on Gatsby's parties, but the idea itself is interesting, not so well executed, but atractive for someone who is looking for something different on a book adaptation.
On the one hand, hip hop works in the film adaptation as background music, usually in the parties at Gatsby's mansion and some minor scenes (for example, when Gatsby and Nick are driving in the highway and they see a group of black people in another car. Photo below), and I believe it does reflect the frenetic and bizarres parties. On the other hand, the most jazz-infused rap songs are good tributes to that era and create the melancholic and sad ambient that the story has.
One of the many examples of musical anachronism present in the film.
''Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul?''
The love story and the passion between Daisy and Jay become more beautiful and filled with sorrow with the use of modern music, giving us a prelude of what will happen next: The end of a love that can never be the same again.
The Great Gatsby portraits the corruption of mankind, the dark side of the human condition, the power of money, the attempt to relive the past...
Does the anachronism help to portrait these themes? Yes.
Does hip hop prove to be useful for that age filled with destructiveness and false happiness? Yes.
Does everyone love the mixture of rap and the story of a man who pursuits the impossible? No.
It might be weird and unusual, but anachronism is a concept that should be used more frequently, because music is timeless and it should not be forgotten just like our romantic Jay, who gave everything to touch something he could never reach.
Thank you for reading!
Bibliography:
Henderson, A. (2013, October 10). What the Great Gatsby Got Right about the Jazz Age. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-the-great-gatsby-got-right-about-the-jazz-age-57645443/?no-ist
McCormack, M. (2013, June 3). The Great Gatsby: When Anachronism Works. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://theglobalpanorama.com/the-great-gatsby-when-anachronism-works/
Loring, A. (2013, May 16). 'The Great Gatsby' Proves the Timelessness of Hip Hop. Retrieved April 27, 2015, from http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/the-great-gatsby-proves-the-timelessness-of-hip-hop.php
I concur when you state that jazz should be the music of selection for Luhrmann's version of "The Great Gatsby" since the events told in the movie are set in the period in which Jazz was the joy and amusement of society.
ResponderEliminarAlthough, the movie tries to show us how wild the parties that Gatsby housed were. Thus, Rap, which is a musical genre born or rather widely-known since the 60', might have guided Luhrmann to think that this musical genre was a more suitable genre for the movie. Furthermore, what you said is true "music is timeless", yes, however when you are trying to show something you need to find the music that fits the scenario and what you are telling the best as possible. And, in my opinion, the use of this "frenetic and bizarre" (As you previously mentioned) type of music would befit better than the soothing-of-the-soul Jazz.
In addition, perhaps, Rap was also meant for the general public in order to avoid the time gap (and to make the movie more attractive).
Now, to answer the question of "Does the musical anachronism work on The Great Gatsby movie?" I believe it does. The plot of the story demands music suitable for the feral, vicious, wild parties that Gatsby threw. And in that sense, Rap resembles, in a higher level, the wilderness of the parties.