Gatsby Film

Of the four adapted to film, the 1974 version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is considered to be the closest to the original text. Jack Clayton (Room at the Top) directs Robert Redford and Mia Farrow in this 1920's romp. But what was supposed to be an intimate story of lust and loss seems to hide behind pretty set designs and costumes.

Francis Ford Coppola's attempt to be faithful the original leaves the actors with what is essentially a word for word copy of the book. Absent of Nick's key insight through narration that brought so much life to the novel cripples the story, causing only the essentials moments of the book to be left in to keep a plot going.

Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway is entertaining at most. Using only an occasional voice over to introduce scenes, that's all we hear from what's going on in Nick's head. The relationship between Jordan and Nick is not as prominent, focusing more on Gatsby then anything.

Redford (The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) as the heartbroken, obsessive Jay Gatsby comes off as very unenthusiastic at times. He matches the look, composure, and charm, but the eccentric and determined Gatsby in the novel is missing on screen, as Redford seems almost bored to play the part.

Farrow's Daisy Buchanan can be best described as annoying. She might as well have been wearing a shirt saying how she felt with the over the top shrieking and longing tones to her voice. It seems as though Clayton was rushed to find a cast and push this movie out, and was focusing too much on the extravagant budget to find an actress to do Daisy justice.

Bruce Dern (Tom), and Lois Chiles (Jordan), give worthy performances, albeit Dern isn't exactly the 'hulking' Tom Buchanan described in the novel. Chiles' sultry, sophisticated Jordan Baker offers a break from the plodding storyline.

Trying

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