Review of The Great Gatsby (1974) by Stuart K — 08 May 2012
F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel had been adapted twice before in 1926 and 1949, both with varying results. However, the third adaptation was now made with New Hollywood in mind, and it had some of it's biggest stars cast in the film.
It's a faithful adaptation which is able to bring the best out of the Roaring Twenties, and it's beautifully made with some good performances. In 1922, Nick Carraway (Sam Waterston) comes from the Midwest to live in West Egg, Long Island, where he has rented a small house in the grounds of the mansion of Jay Gatsby (Robert Redford), a mysterious man who holds grand and extravagant parties.
Nick's cousin Daisy Buchanan (Mia Farrow) lives across the water in East Egg with her husband Tom (Bruce Dern), who has been seeing his mistress Myrtle Wilson (Karen Black). A few weeks later, Nick finds himself invited to one of Gatsby's parties and he meets Gatsby, and the two become friends, but matters are complicated when it's revealed Gatsby and Daisy had a relationship before WW1, and now Gatsby wants to rekindle old flames, but it's not like old times, especially with Tom around.
It's a good epic romance, directed by Jack Claydon, written by Francis Ford Coppola (even though it was heavily re-written), but it has lovely focused camerawork by Douglas Slocombe and a good period score by Nelson Riddle.
It captures the book well, but it's hard to see what Baz Luhrmann will add to his take on it.
This review of The Great Gatsby (1974) was written by Stuart K on 08 May 2012.
The Great Gatsby has generally received mixed reviews.
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