- Director: Baz Luhrmann
- Year: 2013
Overview
Nick Carraway moves to Long Island and becomes fascinated by his wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby throws lavish parties in his mansion, hoping to attract his former love, Daisy Buchanan, who lives across the bay with her husband, Tom. Nick helps Gatsby reunite with Daisy, but their affair quickly runs into the realities of Tom's wealth and influence. The story tracks Gatsby's rise and fall as his past is exposed, leading to a tragic end.
Takeaways
Gatsby uses his newly acquired wealth to throw wild parties just to get Daisy's attention, hoping his new riches can buy his way into the old-money crowd. Tom Buchanan represents the snobby, established elite who look down on new money and use their social standing to protect their turf. The story is a classic clash between Gatsby's hopeful ambition and the rigid social divisions of the 1920s. Gatsby's tragic end proves that no matter how much money he makes, he can't buy his way into a class that will never accept him. In the end, the old-money crowd will always protect their own and discard outsiders when things get messy.