Over the years there have been many versions of The Great Gatsby in the cinema, the most recent being Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation.
However, my favourite has to be Jack Clayton’s 1974 version. It has that timeless feel which I just love…probably because it isn’t in HD and there are those little imperfect blurs in the movement (great for flappers doing the Charleston).
The plot is narrated by Nick Carraway, neighbour to Jay Gatsby, a newly rich suspected bootlegger, and cousin to old money Daisy Buchanan, wife to Tom and previous love interest of Gatsby’s.
Nick has a voyeuristic role which follows the characters throughout the story of tumultuous pasts, love affairs and the complete carelessness of the 1920s.
The film is based on F.Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, set in the summer of 1922, and it is believed many details in the film are based upon the author’s own life. As well as this some characters are based on real people.
For example, Meyer Wolfshiem, whom I feel is depicted perfectly in this film, is based upon Arnold Rothstein, the man who fixed the 1919 World Series. These are the little details that make the film so captivating and a bit more realistic.
This is something I feel is necessary because many of the scenes in the film are so extravagant, particularly Gatsby’s extraordinary parties.
However, in saying this, I feel Clayton has captured perfectly Fitzgerald’s intention of portraying Gatsby, the person and the story, as completely overdone and opulent. Such a role is played perfectly by the very handsome Robert Redford, always looking suave, sophisticated and secretive.
Redford definitely captures Gatsby’s hopefulness that he can in fact “repeat the past” with Daisy, even though to the outsider we can see just how unrealistic this is.
Similarly, Mia Farrow is the perfect Daisy Buchanan. She really is the airy fairy Daisy Faye (Daisy’s maiden name meaning fairy) and depicts perfectly her struggle in a marriage with an unfaithful husband and an expectation of being perfection at all times.
You can clearly see her struggle with this and the wish that she was a “beautiful little fool.” A small detail I noticed Farrow does to portray this is a lot of singing and humming to herself, something I think captures Daisy’s carelessness perfectly and really brings the character to life.
Similarly, Bruce Dern plays a perfect Tom Buchanan; mean and deceptive enough to fulfil the expectation of what Tom is like upon reading the book.
Additionally, the Wilson’s are captured perfectly with Myrtle’s flirtatious personality and George Wilson’s weak willed personality, ultimately tortured by the eyes of Dr TJ Eckleburg watching over him and ending in tragedy.
Additionally, Sam Waterston portrays Nick perfectly, the watcher, the voice of reason, and arguably the other character with a conscious.
Other details of the film also match my expectations of the book. The costumes are flamboyant yet refined, conveying the opulence of the characters. As well as this the sets help to bring Fitzgerald’s vision to life.
From Gatsby’s parties to the Valley of Ashes and the showdown at the Plaza, Clayton managed to capture the essence of the 1920s from every angle, just as Fitzgerald described it.
Ultimately, this version of Gatsby is most certainly a five star flick for me, the music, the costumes, the sets and the actors bring one of my favourite novels to life kicking and screaming in the roaring twenties.
There certainly is a more realistic feel to this version than the more recent 2013 one; probably because Jay Z and Kanye weren’t rapping in the background! Overall the cast all come together to put on a stellar and believable performance which hasn’t quite been met in a Gatsby film since.