Corruption In The Great Gatsby

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Baz Lurhmann’s film, The Great Gatsby (2013), adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel explores various aspects of the American Dream. Originally associated with the ideas of anyone being able to achieve equality, prosperity, and fertility in the New World of America, Luhrmann uses motifs, which are an overt visual technique that captivates and evokes a response from the audience, such as the green light, the colour gold, and the Valley of the Ashes to reveal both the promise as well as the ultimate corruption of the dream. Overall, Luhrmann employs these motifs to convince the audience of the social and moral decay, and the excessive consumption that accompany the failure of the American Dream.

Luhrmann manipulates the green light …show more content…

The headlights and mirrors of Gatsby’s yellow car are coated in gold, exhibiting Gatsby’s overflowing fortune, in which he states to Nick, “Isn’t it pretty old sport? Custom job. Supercharged engine”. However, in contrast to the wealth and fortune Gatsby displays, Luhrmann utilises Gatsby’s car, which kills Myrtle, to reveal the moral decay as a result of chasing the American Dream. Gatsby’s car also undermines the cowardly nature of those living the American Dream like the Buchanan’s, as “they were careless people, Tom and Daisy They smashed up things and people and then retreated into their money and their vast carelessness” after Daisy allows Gatsby to take the blame for Myrtle’s death, which subsequently results in Gatsby’s murder. In addition, the spectacles of Dr TJ Eckleberg are coated in gold and protrude out of the billboard. George Wilson pins Myrtle to the window after discovering that she is in an affair with another man and points to the eyes of Dr TJ Eckleberg, whilst rattling the brand new pearl necklace she received from Tom stating, “You might fool me but you don’t fool God! God sees everything!” This creates the notion that God can see through the opulence of American’s and into the corruption and demoralised doings in obtaining fancy …show more content…

The Valley of the Ashes is situated between Long Island and New York City and represents the aftermath from the pursuit of wealth and the over consumption of goods for individuals to try to fulfil the American Dream. Nick describes the Valley of Ashes as a “grotesque place… that powered the booming golden city… discharged by men who moved dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air” symbolising the awful impact the dream has on the environment and the vitality of the poor. George, for example, essentially has nothing to begin with, yet loses everything, including his wife and his life as a result of supplying and working for those living the Dream. Moreover, Luhrmann examines the concept that the American Dream was highly unachievable for the underprivileged. George wishes to leave the Valley of Ashes revealing to Tom that he “needs money real bad. My wife and I, we wanna go west”, but fails in doing so as a result of Myrtle death, which demonstrates the failed attempt of those who seek to pursue the dream. Additionally, Luhrmann intensifies the notion of social inequality as the Valley of Ashes “was ever watched by Dr TJ Eckleberg” with his back turned on New York City. Luhrmann conveys the view that those amongst the Valley of Ashes are responsible for the corruption of

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