The Great Gatsby (1974)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (novel)

Release Date:

29 March 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Gone is the romance that was so divine.

Plot:

Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor...

Plot Keywords:

Obsession | Tragedy | Ring | Dance Scene | Abusive Boyfriend

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert Redford	...	Jay Gatsby
Mia Farrow	...	Daisy Buchanan
Bruce Dern	...	Tom Buchanan
Karen Black	...	Myrtle Wilson
Scott Wilson	...	George Wilson
Sam Waterston	...	Nick Carraway
Lois Chiles	...	Jordan Baker
Howard Da Silva	...	Meyer Wolfsheim
Roberts Blossom	...	Mr. Gatz
Edward Herrmann	...	Klipspringer
Elliott Sullivan	...	Wilson's Friend
Arthur Hughes	...	Dog Vendor
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Catherine
Beth Porter	...	Mrs. McKee
Paul Tamarin	...	Mr. McKee

Runtime:

144 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2003) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According to Robert Evans the final 5 names considered for the role of Daisy Buchanan were Mia Farrow, Faye Dunaway, Candice Bergen, Katharine Ross and Lois Chiles. Farrow eventually beat off Bergen for the role and Chiles was given the smaller role of Jordan Baker.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Nick meets Gatsby in his private office, the cord to the lamp on the desk changes location between shots. The shots facing Gatsby, the cord goes from the lamp to the end of the desk to his right. When the shots face Nick, the cord goes from the lamp to the side of the desk facing Nick.

Quotes:

Jay Gatsby: Summer's almost over. It's sad, isn't it? Makes you want to - I don't know - reach out and hold it back.
Nick Carraway: There'll be other summers.
Jay Gatsby: [Turning to Nick] How 'bout a swim?
Nick Carraway: Maybe later.
Jay Gatsby: Hrmm.
Nick Carraway: I'll give you a call - around noon?
Jay Gatsby: Fine, old sport. I'll be at the pool.
[Jay watches Nick walk away for a moment before calling out to him]
Jay Gatsby: Nick? Thank you.
Nick Carraway: [Nick nods and then continues on his way. But then he suddenly turns back] They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gossip Girl: The Age of Dissonance (#2.18)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

What'll I Do?

Much better than you think...!

After weighing in on the Boards about this terrific film, it's about time I posted a review, since I do have it on my Top-20 list! I love period-pieces, especially those set in the era of, say, 1918-1938. Hence, 'Eight Men Out', 'Great Gatsby', and 'Sting' are in my Top-20, and, of course, Redford appears in two of those. Redford had the required screen presence, and acting talent to play Gatsby. Those who criticize the film or Redford's interpretation are, to me, just over-analyzing or too caught up in comparisons with the fabulous novel by F. Scott. In addition to superb acting from Redford and a great ensemble cast, the costumes, music and fabulous sets/photography give this flick plenty to recommend.

I have read the book a few times -- I view it as a great American tragedy. But tragedies about larger-than-life characters are not so easy to reproduce on-screen. Anyway, maybe half the viewers haven't read the book; so, for a screenplay writer, it's a dilemma. Maybe *this* particular tragic role - a man who builds fabulous wealth in just a few years, a man who suddenly can compete with the N.Y. aristocracy in attracting the rich and famous to his parties, a man who does it all to reclaim the rich 'jewel' he lost in his youth, a man who gambles it all on one shake of the dice - is, like King Lear, almost too surreal to be performed. Think of it that way, and watch Redford again. He is brilliant. And if you want to see the role messed up, watch A&E's 2004 version. Thirty years to try to improve? And they produce an interpretation of Gatsby I call the 'grinning idiot'.

I've never heard Redford comment on the mixed opinions about his Gatsby portrayal, but I'll guess he knows he got it right, and there wasn't anyone else with the required taste and style to outfit this role. (And as Michael Caine so deftly expressed it in 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', "Taste and style are commodities that people desire.."). You'd be hard-pressed to name a current American actor with the same charisma (so, you go to the U.K. and get Jude Law or Ralph Fiennes, right?).

I'll touch on the comment of one frustrated IMDb reviewer who wondered why they changed how Nick meets Gatsby. In the movie, Gatsby's compact but sinister bodyguard (who has just decked a guy the size of a Buick) quietly leads Nick upstairs to Gatsby's private study. As soon as Redford appears, we know - and Nick knows - that it's Gatsby. In the book, Nick is having a conversation at a table with an amiable fellow who turns out to be Gatsby! Can you imagine filming a scene with a character chatting with Redford and - surprise - it turns out to be Gatsby? (A&E tried it that way in 2004 - note my 'grinning idiot' comment above). Furthermore, this reference to Gatsby's protective layer helps us to identify his tragic blunder later on: he fires his household help for the sake of privacy once his romance with Daisy blooms. That decision is costly.

The book was described somewhere as a 'story in perfect balance'. In practice, that includes characters that are neither too villainous nor too heroic -- neither too loose (morally) nor too prudish. Our eyes and ears for the story, Nick, probably does not whole-heartedly approve of Tom's fling with Myrtle, but he's not about to blow the whistle on him either. He observes, and goes along for the fun with a crowd that clearly is more prosperous than he is. Later, he has good reason to assist in brokering the romance between Daisy and Gatsby (Nick has a growing friendship with Gatsby - and he is no big fan of Tom). At the same time, he finds Gatsby's affectations a bit annoying - and he only pays him one compliment (at the end - remember? "they're a rotten crowd - you're worth more than the whole lot of them put together").

Anyway, once again, portraying all this on screen is no easy matter. So, relax and enjoy the show, a sparkling period-piece that relates to us a tragic tale about the folly of wealth. Meantime, I will try to track down the 1949 version with Alan Ladd, to see how *they* did! 9/10 - canuckteach (--: