Movie Review: The Great Gatsby (1974, Jack Clayton)

*****

Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Lois Chiles, Scott Wilson, Howard Da Silva, Roberts Blossom, Edward Herrmann
Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola (Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
143 minutes / Color

I’m not sure if I’m overrating the film because of my wide infatuation with the colors and characters and dialogue and storyline, but I can clearly and honestly say that I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Not as much as the book however, but despite some “awkward” moments and very, very unique direction, the rest was actually quite interesting.

Based on the Roaring-20s story of F. Scott Fitzgerald, it tells the story of a young bond-seller named Nick Caraway (Sam Waterston) who witnesses the reunited love of a rich socialite Daisy Buchanan (Mia Farrow) and a new-money, self-made man named Jay Gatsby (Robert Redford).

Nick moves to Long Island one summer in a little cottage right across the lawn of a mysterious millionaire named Gatsby, who throws grand parties every night of his life, but never actually attends them. When Nick finally gets invited to one of the parties, he is quickly asked by someone to meet Gatsby inside the house. Nick meets the infamous stranger and finally finds out his reasons of throwing such ornate gatherings:

Gatsby used to be a poor man, who was courting Nick’s cousin Daisy, the belle of the town. But when Gatsby had to go away for the war, Daisy was left heartbroken and got caught up in a loveless marriage with a rich polo player named Tom Buchnanan (Bruce Dern), who in the present is cheating on her for a white-trash married flossy named Myrtle Wilson (Karen Black). All Gatsby wanted to do was have Daisy (who was living near by) “accidentally” come to one of his parties and realize how rich her old lover was.

Alarmed of this news, it is just the beginning of the most interesting summer of Nick’s life. Gatsby has a plan, that’s been in the working for exactly…8 years! After the war and after learning of Daisy’s marriage, he was to make himself rich (not only regular rich but smothered in money and gloss and elegance!) and show off all of his new possessions and amazing reputation to the girl of his dreams. But first, he needed a location to do this new “courting” process and he asks Nick for help and approval to do it at his home. Nick agrees and Gatsby’s plan is back in action.

In the best move (that wasn’t really a move), the first glimpse of Daisy and Gatsby in the hot cottage of Nick, make the two connect again and fall deeply back in the position they were 8 years back. The two start an affair, with the help of Nick and their friend Jordan Baker (Lois Chiles). Tom is suspicious AND jealous (despite the fact he has a lover too).

Wanting to break them up, they all have a tedious fight in a hotel room one summer day in New York City, which leaves their emotions running. The truths of each other come out and everyone sees everyone else’s true colors. The men are in spite, the women are confused. But who will Daisy choose? The man who she married and had a child with OR the man she is madly in love with? She doesn’t choose…until ONE fatal move.

On the way back home from town, Gatsby and Daisy had gone ahead in a different car from Tom, Nick and Jordan. There seemed to be an accident in the side of the street. As the 3 join the group of spectators, they see Tom’s lover Myrtle dead from being hit by a car. Tom is widely affected, but so is Myrtle’s husband George (Scott Wilson) who thinks that Tom is the killer of his beloved. What Tom and the other 3 don’t know is that Daisy was the one driving the car that killed Myrtle, thinking she is the one getting in the way of her marriage with Tom.

In an eager attempt to gain revenge, George goes to the Buchanan household the next morning. Not empty handed, but with a gun! There, Tom tries to defend his wife and tells him who he THOUGHT really ran over Myrtle…GATSBY.

In the meantime, Gatsby is enjoying a quite swim in the pool, trying to overcome the previous day’s events. To his surprise, a mad, sad and outraged George Wilson comes out from behind him and shoots him several times to his death. Guilt of the crime gets to him and Wilson puts the pistol in his own mouth and shoots his brain into scatters.

Quite a tragic tale, that is completely faithful to the book. That is just one of the few flaws that “Gatsby” possesses. It really is TOO faithful. Most of the dialogue you’d think was coming straight out of the novel (which I can prove because I read it). Francis Ford Coppola didn’t do such an exemplary job in adapting the piece of amazing literature, which is such a waste because he has such great material to work with.

I must start with Mia Farrow. Don’t get the wrong ideas about her performance. I think she did really well actually, despite the bashing she receives. She started off perky and annoying and so “rich” and I honestly didn’t like her. But I realized as the scenes were passing and she was getting close to Gatsby, most of her character was really coming out. Her “richness” at the start was such a lie to whom she really was and I think she did a really great job doing that.

For the male leads, Robert Redford created another fascinating performance. He made sort of a “supporting” performance into something really huge. I think the script was written for the Nick character (observe the narration) but Redford really works his star power and pushed himself to the front. But don’t get me wrong; I really, really loved Sam Waterston’s performance as Nick. It’s such a pity that he wasn’t given any follow-up or more screen time.

The film looked gorgeous. It absolutely captured the essence of the 20s with a bliss to it that makes it even better. The Academy Award wining costumes of Theoni V. Aldredge was really so amazing, and sets were fantastic. It kills me to learn that the sets were not nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. Both played a HUGE role in the movie. It was such eye candy and I was stunned from beginning to end. With all that glamorous outfits and houses, I wished I was that rich. It looked fantastic.

Something unconventional was the direction of Jack Clayton. I was really fast passed, like it was really tying to tell you “classic gossip”. I wasn’t bad at all is what I’m saying, some shots were beautiful, but some shots were a little too much. Some confusing and some just really, really “splish”, “bam”, “boom”! You know what I mean? I don’t think so, it’s really hard to describe in words.

The other technical thing I must kudos is the cinematography. How wonderful it was! The flagrant, exuberant colors are still bright and blossoming in my mind. I feel like I’ve been watching a tasteful color wheel spin around for 2 hours and 40 minutes and goodness, I loved it! To sum up the specs: the film was really beautiful…to look at!

As much as I enjoyed the book, to tell you the truth, I couldn’t put it down (and when I did I was kinda longing to return to it), the movie is a fairly good adaptation. Not good enough though. A brilliant adaptation would reach my Top 10 probably, but that’s a little too hard to reach. This, this is a low 5 stars. I’ll re-watch it again someday and see if my opinions still hold. For now, “The Great Gatsby” was interesting, delectable, mysterious, smart and well-acted. Simply ravishing.