The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby, set in the Art Deco period, an era defining style which could be seen and enjoyed by all.

For anyone who has watched The Great Gatsby will notice that throughout the film there is a huge significance placed upon, and occurrence of water. From the bay where Gatsby’s house is, Gatsby sailing, the rain when Gatsby and Daisy are reunited and also at Gatsby’s funeral, and of course the round pool in the famous scene Gatsby dies in.

Water plays a great part in Gatsby and Daisy’s love story, to symbolize many things such as baptism – the cleansing of all wrong doings, purification, the renewal of love and the inevitable separation. By using water this way this enables the viewers to gain more depth and understanding for the characters involved in the love story.

The true source of inspiration from this piece though is the circular pool seen throughout the film that is symbolic for so many reasons including that every Saturday night an extravagant party is thrown, accommodated by Gatsby but rarely ever attended by. Although portraying himself in a puzzling way to his party goers – Gatsby’s lifestyle and wild parties are merely all part of an image he wishes to project, an image that catches up with him in one of the final scenes.

“‘Don’t do it today,’ Gatsby answered. ‘You know, old sport, I’ve never used that pool all summer”

Gatsby converses with his gardener about emptying the pool ready for winter, symbolic meaning of letting go of love, the image and the dream. Water has been a transformative medium throughout Gatsby’s life and some people believe his death within the pool symbolizes a sort of baptism, cleansing Gatsby’s soul and the renewal of his life after death.

Swimming pools and large bodies of water will always be related to differently by different people and this story goes to show just how water can be used to both portray characters and feelings. Every swimming pool designed and built by Aqua Platinum is entirely unique because each of our clients relates to the pool and associated experience differently. It is our job to interpret the brief and deliver a stunning project to exceed these expectations.