Money And Sex And The Film example essay topic

The film Pretty Woman, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, tells a story of a rich upper class businessman who falls in love with a Los Angeles prostitute. The film follows the interaction between Edward Lewis, who has a high social standing, and Vivian Ward, who is deemed as belonging to the lowest class of society. These essentially superficial positions in society give an insight into the nature of the interaction between the characters throughout the film. As a result of their business-turned-personal relationship, Vivian is subsequently launched into a world of self-worth and social rank, as Edward comes to the realization of the importance of compassion in his life.

This idealistic theme sums up the fairytale attitude the characters hold for themselves throughout the movie. The prevalent themes expressed in the film show that the popular culture of the period centres upon money and sex, as do the lives of the characters. This attitude is conveyed many times throughout the film, including the opening scene which following is stated "Its all about the money". Consumerism is directly related to both money and sex, and the film shows how consumerism affects the class structure of society. The importance of appearances is a central theme of the film, and is used to signify the change in the social standing of Vivian into a worthy member of society, with the adorning of new and expensive clothes Throughout the film Pretty Woman, the idea of money and the value of money in a modern society are heavily used to create meaning for the viewer.

As a prostitute, Vivian is required to sell herself for money, as Edward seeks money in the business world without regard for personal circumstances. Both the lives of Vivian and Edward revolve around money, and the film shows that money derives social worthiness and value in society in this period of time. Vivian is viewed as less worthy because of her lack of money, and therefore Edward as of higher social standing. This attitude shows the materialistic culture of the period, where money is the defining feature of social standing.

When 'taken in' by Edward, Vivian is seen to undertake a transformation from a mere hooker to a valued member of society, not only in the eyes of the characters, but also in the eyes of the viewers. She is seen to wear increasingly expensive clothes in order to raise her appearances, as consumerism is portrayed as a mark of the wealthy / worthy. By means of a simple sum of money, Vivian's outlook on life is totally altered, by which she is seen to become more responsible and in control of her life, without the restraints of a lower class. This illustrates the popular culture of the time: that money makes dreams come true.

Her appearances give her some type of worthiness that she didn't have before, as she increases her money and therefore social worth. This is supported in the numerous scenes where Vivian is seen to do something unexpected, which would normally be seen as embarrassing or improper, and is dismissed with joyful giggling and is disregarded on the whole, as she changes from 'rags to riches'. This idea shows that although she still has the mannerisms and social skills of a prostitute, her appearances and money outweigh her lack of 'class' is society. The audience is led to believe that she is of better character because she does not carry the same behavioural mannerisms as her wealthy counterparts, and that her differences are endearing or cute. This theme is portrayed in the scene at the opera, where Vivian comments that she nearly 'peed herself' in response to the performance. Her apparent innocence and child-like naivety that would once signify a lack of class now signifies an endearing quality, this change brought on by her change in appearance and her conforming consumerist attitude.

Almost all of the characters actions in the film are driven by want for money or the presence consumerism. The characters that hold the most economic value also hold the most social power, as with Edward, and are constantly in positions of power throughout the film. This Marxist like view is prominent throughout the text, as a group of people, in this case - females, are forced to rely on the males for support. This is evident in the movie as a whole: Edward rescues Vivian, which also conforms to the common fairytale / romantic comedy structure. The film Pretty Woman is a simple romantic comedy that gives and insight into the popular culture of the 1980's. Its materialistic aspects and clear class structures are illustrated in the retelling of a superficial and money driven storyline that shows the importance of money and sex in the way society functions at the time, and how it differentiates class according to appearances.