Similarities Between Strictly Ballroom And The Great Gatsby

The famous Australian director that is Baz Luhrmann has a modern cinematic eye, therefore always evolving, keeping up with the modern generation and most importantly writing for the modern generation. “The Great Gatsby” and “Strictly Ballroom” depicts the constant changing and conforming along with the development of music and fashion.
“Strictly Ballroom’ and “The Great Gatsby” are best known for their eclectic music and intricate, yet extravagant clothing. Luhrmann ensures that both clothing and music are constantly developing. In “Strictly Ballroom” the first scene is a dance competition surrounded by dazzlingly colourful outfits to show the tone of this scene. Similarly to the glitter stemmed costumes at Gatsby’s first party that Nick Carraway is invited to. These two scenes corroborate as they give the audience an idea of how spectacular and out there Lurhmann’s films are. His costumes are the epitome of “go big or go home” Baz certainly goes big in both films always making sure that he delivers that immoderate and free-spending types of props and costumes throughout.

“Strictly Ballroom” and “The Great Gatsby” are both a form of entertainment to both the characters and the audience.

Luhrmann has chosen to allow the audience to become more involved in every aspect of the film. Going from the Grand Prix Pacific’s where we are the audience watching Scott and Fran dance with their exuberant dance moves, them being a form of entertainment to being taken inside of Gatsby’s parties which offers us a chance in which we peer more into the lives of characters and feel as though we, ourselves are more present than at a dance competition in ‘Strictly Ballroom.” Baz has gone over and above in the past years to ensure the modern audience are locked onto the

screen.
The music throughout Luhrmann’s films is also one that is highly prominent and which portrays Luhrmann’s evolution explicitly. Jay Z played a role within the production of music in ‘‘The Great Gatsby”, displaying the African American jazz in order to bring the “modern’ aspect into play mixing with the Jazz that Fitzgerald had written in his book during his time. Music is also an important way in which you are consumed into the movie experiencing a taste of what the story line is about as well as the characters. In Strictly Ballroom the music played very much fits in with almost, all scenes. For example, where Scott and Fran were dancing in front of the coco cola sign along with the song ‘Time After Time” shows that they are on their way to becoming dance partners, portrayed by the lyrics of the song. Luhrmann has evolved in this manner always ensuring that the music grows with each character as well as being fitting with the film and the time frame in which it was made.
The large amount of simultaneously bright and beautiful costumes, over the top and energetic tone and kaleidoscope editing from the Grand Prix Pacific’s in Strictly Ballroom to Gatsby luxurious parties both show exuberant choreography and garish costumes. Luhrmann went so far as in his evolution to tackle a more contemporary cinematic technique showing ‘The Great Gatsby’ in 3D. This is a way of enhancing a more powerful connection with the modern audience which is a development on from “Strictly Ballroom”

Despite the fact that Baz Luhrmann is a modernist he never makes things more modern, in a sense that it takes the meaning out of it, he purely makes sure that all references made are accessible to a contemporary audience in which he directs his films. Through this, his evolution is portrayed in a way that is incessant and interminable.