Great Gatsby, the: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Scott Wilson, Sam Waterston, Lois Chiles, Howard Da Silva, Roberts Blossom, Edward Herrmann, Elliott Sullivan, Arthur Hughes, Douglas Slocombe, Jack Clayton, Tom Priestley, David Merrick, Hank Moonjean, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Francis Ford Coppola: Amazon.ca: Video

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This adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, puts costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. It's certainly a handsome try, and perhaps no movie could capture The Great Gatsby in its entirety. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. No, the problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the Jazz Age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

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Customer Reviews

74 Reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars (74 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars The 1949 version with Alan Ladd is much better!, May 1 2012

By

C. Mathieu "waldenpond88" (Worcester, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Gatsby (1974) (DVD)

I watched the 1949 version with Alan Ladd a long time ago on German TV and unfortunately it's never on TCM (at least not since 2007), wish it would finally be released on DVD!
The newer movie version with Robert Redford is o.k., but I like the old one better.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How About a CD of the Soundtrack, Dec 26 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Great Gatsby (1974) (DVD)

Much has been written about later versions of The Great Gatsby on video and DVD and how Nelson Riddle's score had been deleted due to "copyright" laws. I'm glad that now the original score is back....now, what can we do to have the double album soundtrack transferred to CD format?

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4.0 out of 5 stars Guilt! The Eyes Of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg, O.D. See ALL !, Jun 28 2004

By

Sheila Chilcote-Collins "Sheila Renee Chilcot... (Collinswood, Van Wert, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Great Gatsby (1974) (DVD)

F. Scott Fitzgerald presents taut tension and symbolism between Modernism and Victorianism in the 1925's quintessential jazz age of the great American novel, "The Great Gatsby" and this 1974 adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel with Francis Ford Coppola's screenwriting captures the better part of it!

Daisy's green light at the end of her dock that symbolizes all hope and want in not just Gatsby but all people, the "haves" and the "have-nots", guilt and carelessness, living above judgement and consequences, and of course, the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg over the "valley of the ashes"... All are all beautifully and sadly portrayed.

Mia Farrow as the self centered, one-dimensional Daisy, Bruce Dern as the philandering Tom and Robert Redford as the nouveau riche, enamoured Gatsby turn in quite decent performances.

As Nick says, "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money ortheir vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

However, it is Karen Black as Myrtle, Scott Wilson as George and a sublime Sam Waterson cast as the perfect Nick are the highlight of this film along with the musical score, great costuming and elaborate set design.

This is well worth the watch and I enjoy this adaptation more than the A&E presentation, of which I USUALLY favor!

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no
matter- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther..... And one fine morning - " (Nick)

Happy Watching!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars a great interpretation of the book
the book is one of my favorites and this movie captures the books emotion. I think the story of gatsby is a very sad story but a story that most of us go through. Read more

Published on Jun 21 2004 by M. A. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars VERY SAD!
Saddest book I've ever read and saddest movie I've ever seen.
The book was excellent and the actors' played the parts with great accuracy (Gatsby's neighbor is one of the... Read more