The Great Gatsby Film Versions

The Great Gatsby based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald bombed when it was released in 1974. Jack Clayton directected it and uses the script by Francis Ford Coppola written a few years earlier. Coppola disowned his screenplay when he saw the movie, because he felt the movie adaptation ruined his work. The movie follows the novel almost, scene-by-scene, paying great attention to details like colors and scenery. It is a faithful, but lackluster adaptation that lacks any depth. It tries, but it never succeeds to do the Great American Novel justice and instead it drags on for two and a half hours without making a point or addressing any of Fitzgerald's themes. The great attention paid to details such as hair-cuts, period suits and sophisticated design and setting impressively captures the essence of the roaring twenties. The lavish parties thrown by Gatsby at his beautiful house are the most noteworthy as they capture the spirit of the times and stay true to the novel. This visual authenticity was rewarded in the form of two Oscar grabs for best musical score and best costume at the 1975 Academy Awards. Similarly, all characters look the parts well enough.That takes care of the visual. However, as Redford struggles to add depth to the character of Great Gatsby, he was left with a mediocre Gatsby who is too self-assured and not dreaming enough. The beautiful Lois Chiles was the light of this film. She was perfect for the part of Jordon Baker. The biggest problem with this book-to-film adaptation is lack of depth around Gatsby's and Daisy's relationship. It appears to have been transformed into a lustful love-story and strayed away from important themes and motives, such as why the characters feel the way they feel or do the things they do. It is hard to translate The Great Gatsby onto screen, as the strength of the novel is its richness of language, symbolism and imagery. To include all of these aspects in a film would make it visually overblown and perhaps detract from important details. The symbolism of the novel is mostly lost, however; the color green which is so important in. The lack of green grass visible during Gatsby's vivacious parties was a low point as the grass holds great symbolism for Gatsby's yearning to renew his life and start over again with a fresh start, new friends and a new outlook on life. A subtle background use of the color green might also have helped this movie in addressing the American Dream. The Great Gatsby is a fantastic portrayal of an of the 1920s but does not do F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel justice in the least. Perhaps this is why, being a fan of the source material, that Coppola disowned his screenplay.