Wealth is a major theme in today’s films, and it’s treated very differently across different movies – we see the whole range from glamorous and desirable to corrupt and evil. In some films, wealth is the motivating factor driving the whole plot, and many movies show off extreme wealth in ways that idealize it and make viewers envious of the characters. On the other side, we see the darkness that wealth can be associated with, and the dangerous power that excessive money can offer.
Films really run the gamut in the ways that they portray wealth, but it’s common to see romanticized ideas, even of financial activities that might not be seen in particularly positive ways in real life. Things like gambling are often seen as exciting, intriguing, and daring, as you’ll know if you’ve ever checked out the top 5 gambling movies.
Wealthy people are often seen as daring visionaries, pushing the frontiers of humanity – but in a darker twist, they can be portrayed as manipulative, selfish, and domineering, often with unethical plans to expand their affluence and rule. Let’s delve into money in the world of film and see what shapes it takes.
1. Iron Man
One of the richest people in the Marvel Universe, Tony Stark is a popular character, and he’s certainly got a lot going for him: both brains and finances are at his disposal. Unlike many in the superhero world, he doesn’t have special powers: he’s an ordinary human but has used his brain to set himself apart.
Wealthy, intelligent, and compassionate, Tony Stark is a character to be much envied, but he hasn’t let it ruin him, or take away his sense of empathy for others. He’s used his genius to build some incredible gadgets, and he’s out to save the world. MCU weren’t playing around with this character, who seems to have never-ending wealth as a result of his intelligence – but he uses it for all the right reasons.
2. The Great Gatsby
There are few more cynical portrayals of wealth than in The Great Gatsby, which revolves entirely around the concept of high society, old vs new money, and the impenetrable nature of the elite. American society’s relationship with money is explored throughout.
Affluence initially seems highly romanticized, with Jay Gatsby’s stunning parties and charmed life, but we soon see the darker side to this, and the emptiness that lurks in their money. Arguably pitiable, the wealthy people who populate The Great Gatsby are nonetheless fundamentally selfish. They evoke feelings not of admiration, but of sympathy, as their lives are empty, and they are trapped by their wealth.
We see wealth clash sharply with poverty, and the way that money divides people and ruins them. Even Gatsby, surrounded by more money than he could ever use, is destroyed – both by his own riches and by the society he longed to join.
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service
In this movie, a blunt approach is taken to wealth: money is a problem. Here, the villain plans to use his money to convince people to commit murder. He intends to kill off a vast chunk of the world’s population so that he can rule the world and solve overpopulation problems at the same time.
Of course, those who oppose them are backed by money too, but it’s interesting that the main character comes from an impoverished background, giving him a down-to-earth aspect that allows him to stand out among the society he’s joining.
4. Glass Onion
There’s also Glass Onion, where we see a fabulous display of wealth. The film mocks and attacks the “disruptors” of society, with a man who is a sham in every way and has built his entire empire on other people’s ideas. It’s worse than that, though; to increase his wealth, he’s manipulating others and trying to put a highly dangerous fuel into homes across the world.
In the main character, we see every undesirable trait, greed, selfishness, manipulative tendencies, narcissism, and more. We also see the results of his overblown ego in the ultimate showdown.
5. The Wolf Of Wall Street
Finally, there’s The Wolf of the Wall Street, a film that demonstrates the phenomenal destructive power of embezzlement, and moral bankruptcy of the mega-wealthy. This film notices the strange magnetism that wealth seems to have for many people and explores the morality of money in a stark depiction of today’s financial world.
There’s no question that this film is adamantly against the current setup of the banking world and is seeking to point this out to ordinary people. The glitter of money is portrayed in a way that helps the audience to come to terms with their own romanticization of wealth, perhaps so they can better understand and address this.
