The Great Gatsby Opening Scene Analysis

The American dream is dying, but not in the way you think.
The opening scene of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013) is made to show that an insane man's view of the American dream is dying due to the rise of a more progressive society. When looking at how the camera is placed in the scene, it shows that Nick is clearly being diagnosed with a form of psychosis. But, when you look at the color tones of the scene it tries to make the doctor seem warmer, while Nick is colder towards his humanity. Yet throughout the scene, the focus changes between both Nick and the doctor. Making you focus on what each of them is saying to the other.Yes, you can always say the theme is “The death of the American Dream”, but you cannot say that this is all in

The scene begins with a close-up shot of Nick's face as he begins to tell the story of Gatsby, acting as an establishing shot. From then on would act as a reaction shot, except when the doctor is looking at nicks file. One shot is a closeup shot of the file showing the symptoms and information on Nick Carraway that was given to the doctor, and in the shot it clearly lists off symptoms that Nick is experiencing that show he is suffering from a form of psychosis, specifically the anxiety, fits of anger, insomnia, and depression. In which Nick treats with alcohol. This leads him to be morbidly alcoholic. The scene continues with Nick and the Doctor going back and forth, however, it is shot as Nick is usually in the foreground in a majority of the shots. While in only a small percentage of the shots has the doctor is in the foreground, keeping him reserved to speak only in the background. This goes on until Nick walks towards the window, and the camera is at face level as it slides away from his face, then transitions through a thick wall of snow to show that what is happening now is a flashback, or something made up by Nick to trick the