In the 20s of the last century in the United States reveled in the novel The Great Gatsby by Francis Fitzgerald, and in 2013, the film adaptation of this literary work became a hit. The characters of the film won the hearts of many viewers, although not everyone knows on the basis of which publication the script for the picture was created. But many will answer the question of who Daisy Buchanan is and why her love story ended so tragically.
The story of the creation of the novel
The 20s of the 20th century were especially fun and successful for the United States. The destruction of the First World War did not affect the distant continent, but the state was remarkably enriched by the supply of weapons and food to the European continent. The good old Europe was far behind, and on the horizon a new “King and God” - America.
Young Americans in the "roaring twenties" had fun to the fullest. The Prohibition provided many bootleggers with the opportunity to earn millions and even billions. During this period, writer Francis Scott Fitzgerald created one of his best novels. It was published in 1925. So the Great Gatsby was born.
Daisy Buchanan, Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway - all these are the main characters of the story. Fitzgerald began to write his "hit" in New York, so it is logical that the book takes place in the vicinity of this city. The plot focuses on the life of rich and successful people, millionaires who have fun day and night. But among this noise and frivolity, it turns out that there is a place for true love and self-sacrifice.
The story of the film
The Great Gatsby was filmed five times. For the first time - in 1926. But not a single film adaptation can be compared in scope with the picture released in 2013 by director Baz Lurman. The production budget amounted to 105 million dollars. The work of costumers and stage designers was marked by two Oscars.
Baz Lurman is an Australian director who, many years ago, became famous for his unconventional interpretation of Shakespeare’s work in the movie Romeo + Juliet, as well as the colorful musical Moulin Rouge!
The music for the new film adaptation was written by Craig Armstrong. Despite the fact that the composer is a classical musician, he often writes soundtracks, and to fairly well-known films: “Snowden”, “Wall Street: Money Does Not Sleep”, “The Incredible Hulk” and others.
The image of Daisy Buchanan was entrusted to the young actress Carey Malligan. And in the role of the brilliant Gatsby, the world saw the Oscar-winning Leonardo DiCaprio.
A brief plot of the picture
Daisy Buchanan - the main character of the film - lives in a luxurious mansion with her husband Tom. Her second cousin Nick, who is the narrator of this story, comes to visit her.
After the first dinner, it becomes clear to Nick that the pair of Daisy and Tom is only outwardly prosperous. In fact, Tom has long had a mistress and does not hesitate to break up on her dates right in the midst of a family evening. Tom introduces Nick to his friendly company: there Carraway first heard of the chic parties that take place every Saturday at Mr. Gatsby’s vast estate. After some time, it turns out that Jay Gatsby is Nick's neighbor. They get acquainted and become friends.
Only Nick Gatsby decides to reveal all his secrets. It turns out that before becoming rich, he was in love with Daisy. But while Jay was at the front, the girl managed to marry Tom. Then Gatsby bought a house near the Buchanan estate and began arranging receptions every Saturday. But his beloved never came to any of them. Nick Carraway undertakes to facilitate the meeting of Daisy and Jay. Unfortunately, for the great Gatsby, this event ends in failure.
Daisy Buchanan: Character Characterization
It is noteworthy that Scott Fitzgerald portrayed the beloved of the great Gatsby as a near-minded woman. It even looks a little tragic that such a resourceful and erudite man fell in love with such a spineless and even “empty” young lady.
Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby is a typical representative of the "golden youth." She lives without looking at the future and the past, prefers not to understand her own and other people's feelings. The “Golden Girl” was not created at all in order to make at least some decisions. This is the tragedy of the plot.
In order to be with Daisy, the main character managed to get rich and rise to the same social level with the girl. Five years later, Buchanan agrees to an affair with Jay, but refuses to break off his relationship with her husband. In vain did Gatsby push her lover to this decisive step — all she could do in return was to escape at a crucial moment in Jay’s car and knock down a pedestrian along the way.
Tom, Daisy's husband, specifically informs the husband of the deceased that it was Jay Gatsby who shot her down. Heartbroken George Wilson infiltrates the rich man’s house and shoots him with weapons. So Gatsby pays for his love with his life, and Daisy continues to lead a luxurious and cheerful life with her husband in another city.
Daisy Buchanan: Actress Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan is from the UK. She began her career in the film adaptation of the novel "Pride and Prejudice", which was filmed in 2005. Then Carey played Kitty Bennet and in the frame shone with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Then Mulligan actively starred in television for two years: during this period, she appeared in the projects Cold House, Judgment and Retribution, and Doctor Who.
In 2009, a definite breakthrough occurred in Carey's career: she played in the film "Johnny D." along with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard. Then there was the main role in the melodrama “Education of feelings” directed by Lone Scherfig. In the drama “Brothers”, Carey was played by Cassie Willis, and the central roles in the project went to Natalie Portman, Toby Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal.
With Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon Mulligan met on the set of the drama "The Best." Then there was a movie hit with Michael Douglas, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” and the dystopia “Keeping Me Alone”. After collaborating with so many cinema stars, there was no doubt that Carey could handle the image of the “golden girl” Daisy Buchanan.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby
Leonardo DiCaprio has acted in films since 1988 and has not ceased to amaze his fans ever since. At the age of 22, DiCaprio played his first starring role in the film of the same Baz Lurman, who later filmed The Great Gatsby. In his 1996 production, the young actor performed Romeo.
A year later, was the famous "Titanic" by James Cameron. DiCaprio did a wonderful job with his role, but it’s no secret that his characters took more of their external data and a romantic halo around the image. Therefore, in the following years, Leo had a difficult time: in three years he starred in only 4 films, although stars of his scale release five projects a year. However, Leo was waiting for serious roles, and waited.
DiCaprio returned to the screens in the image of Amsterdam Wallon, who decided to become the main one on the streets of New York. "Gangs of New York" Scorsese for a long time cut into the memory of the viewer, and a year later the artist surprised the audience by playing the millionaire and inventor Howard Hughes in the drama "The Aviator". The film received 5 Oscars, but for some reason DiCaprio's work was not appreciated properly.
Then there were The Island of the Damned, The Beginning, and a host of films unlike each other. The film adaptation of the love story of the great Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan is one of the brightest pages in DiCaprio's career.
Toby Maguire as Nick
Toby Maguire is known to the public mainly for the role of Spider-Man in the trilogy of the same name. In The Great Gatsby, the actor got the role of brother Daisy Buchanan, an eyewitness to this story and storyteller. The fate of Gatsby so impressed Nick Carraway, that he began to drink and ended up in a clinic for alcoholics. From there he leads his on-screen narration.
Other role performers
More in the project Baz Lurman there were no celebrities of the first magnitude. It seemed that he was satisfied that he had invited three Hollywood stars to the role and decided to limit himself to this.
The role of the infidel and duplicitous Tom Buchanan was played by Joel Edgerton (the drama "Warrior"), and the role of his mistress went to Isla Fisher ("Shopaholic"). Also in the frame you can see Elizabeth Debicki (“Agents A.N.K.L.”) and Jason Clark (“Terminator: Genesis”).
Criticism reviews
In the world, the voices of professional critics were divided almost in half: some claimed that the film was magnificent, others smashed Lurman’s work to the smithereens. However, the audience was sympathetic to the picture, for which they awarded it a rating of seven points. The Great Gatsby also won two Oscars and grossed over 350 million dollars at the box office.