Often when there is an adaption of a film from a book, it is conventional to remain as authentic as possible from the novel. While most film adaptations adhere to this standard, Australian director Baz Luhrman disregards it. Luhrman, writer & director of such films as "Romeo + Juliet " and "Moulin Rogue! " is the type of filmmaker that likes to deviate from the original stories into his own creative interpretations. He best exemplifies this in his 2013 adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel "The Great Gatsby ". The disparities that Luhrman implemented into his film alters the viewer's perception about the characters personality, the interpretation of Gatsby's death, and the distorted image of Gatsby's and Daisy's relationship. .
Notable variations from the book existed in the film. In the novel, the scene that preceded the death of Gatsby involved him "shouldering the mattress and starting for the pool ".(pg. 167-168) This scene symbolizes his image as a biblical figure, and foreshadows his death similar to Jesus Christ's crucifixion. This scene is altered in the film; By excluding this Christ-like allusion, the film deteriorates Gatsby's image by minimizing the innuendo that Gatsby's death was a salvation for Daisy's mistakes. Luhrman also altered the scene of the death. In the film before Gatsby's death, the telephone rings and it is believed by Gatsby that it is Daisy that is calling him when it is actually Nick. Gatsby is later killed when the telephone is picked up, with Daisy's name being his last words. This deviates from the novel by romanticizing his affair with Daisy even though in the novel it was implied that Gatsby had given up on Daisy, "I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn't believe it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared ". (pg.168).
Another notable contrariety between the film and the book is how Daisy's personality is presented. In the film, before Gatsby is murdered, there are stills and shots of Daisy sitting next to a telephone, pondering whether she should call Gatsby.
