The Great Gatsby is a text first published by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. Fitzgerald created the main protagonist, Jay Gatsby, in likeness to himself, a man in love with riches and an obsession of chasing the girl of his dreams. The film of the same title, directed by Bazz Lurhmann and released in the year 2013, is a successful modern adaption of the book. It centres on the lives of people of different social status’ in the 1920’s, and revolves around Gatsby’s attempt to win-over his dream girl, Daisy. In an interview conducted in April 2013, Lurhmann stated that ‘The Great Gatsby has managed to be relevant in all times’. Through themes and issues identified throughout the text, in particular the ‘American Dream’, the effect of wealth and social class and corruption, his statement can be explored and given meaning. Paragraph 1: Throughout the film, Lurhmann makes a clear statement about the power of dreams, and portrays Jay Gatsby as a delusional character who is completely mesmerised by his own dream to spend his life with Daisy – which was even bigger than himself. He was so deceived by his mirages that he would not allow reality to rescript his dream. Gatsby is so blinded by his wealthy possessions that he does not realise that no amount of money can buy happiness. Lurhmann presents this in the film by adapting it from Fitzgerald’s notions in the novel; that a dream is so fragile, and so easily corrupted by wealth and desire of power. His devotion was to achieve his one dream – Daisy. His idea of the ‘American Dream’ could never come true because he was still living in the past and Daisy was living in the present. Luhrmann also presents this through numerous shots of the ‘green light’ and that Gatsby reaching the dream is un… … middle of paper … …oney is something we strive to have to maintain a social status. Lurhamann’s statement clearly identifies that wealth and social class has always been relevant since Fitzgerald first published The Great Gatsby. During the film there are distinct groups and they each have their own problems demonstrating how precarious the world is. Each different social class are outlined: old money, new money and no money. Fitzgerald portrays a deep message that people of higher class cannot associate with people that do no accumulate the same money. The importance of this topic echoes throughout the 21st century, as similarly, people are adapted to manipulating things they cannot afford. In modern society striving for materialistic goals we cannot attain only leads into failure, but others still regularly manipulate what they cannot gain to achieve success and climb social status.
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