The Great Gatsby
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Movie Reviews of The Great Gatsby
Movie Review: A Classic that Needs to be Seen Today
Summary: 5 Stars
The book upon which this DVD was based has come back into the limelight in the post-Enron, post-Tyco, post-Refco, post-Worldcom, post-Adelphia world of ethicless business. The DVD gets this part of the book right. Like the major rich characters in this DVD, today's ruthless robber-barons, cheat on their wives, demean their employees, spend money lavishly on conspicuous consumption. But Gatsby never gave a million dollar party like the head of Tyco did.
So much is similar: no one knows where the rich people's money is coming from. Everyone assumes there is something illegal about a few people having all the money and the poor people being pushed further into poverty. But, no one seems to be doing anything about it.
When General Motors steps away from its commitment to employee pensions, and United Airlines, and IBM, this book becomes more and more contemporary. Even more so when executive pay rises in the double digits every year. Tom Buchannan, the adulterer in this classic, would fit right into today's business elite.
Gatsby (Robert Redford) himself is mysterious, but, although his background in the First World War is revealed in the book, it is not found in the film. His background turns out to be similar to many veterans who returned from Vietnam, or Iraq, to find that the rules of business had changed, and for the most part, there was no effective enforcement.
The real lesson of this DVD is that the wages of sin is death. Gatsby dies in a case of mistaken identity. His death is triggered by Buchannan's infidelity. This is a message America needs to see.
I watched this film when it came out. But that was before Enron. I rented the VHS and watched again after the Internet bubble burst, just like the stock market imploded in 1929, shortly after the book was written, sweeping millions into poverty.
By the time the book became popular, thousands of people who had hoped to be like Gatsby were living on the streets. If they read the book during the depression they would have been happy that Gatsby got what was coming to him.
What will you think of Gatsby when you see the DVD?
Movie Review: Accurate Take on an Enigmatic Original
Summary: 5 Stars
This is in all respects, including casting, acting, and direction, the fullest and most faithful rendition of Fitzgerald's original. The reviews which call it a clothes and sets show are simply misapprehending. The seeming clarity of the deservedly classic book is all surface, sustained only by the incredible invention of Nick Carraway, who carries the enigmatic and terse narrative like a sort of moody jazz age song. Beneath that surface is a yawning cavern of distrurbing emptiness, symbolized by the "valley of ashes" and keying in directly to T. S. Eliot's "The Wasteland." To go beyond a suggestive surface is to risk plunging the whole project quickly into heavy darkness, which this film carefully avoids.
The brio of the direction shows in a cluster of marvelous choices, some very fleeting: Sam Waterston as an impeccable Carraway; the too-carefully accented, stumbling diction of Redford who truly reflects -- as he is supposed to -- one who acquired his speech from "how to" books; bringing Klipspringer, the pianist-guest who never leaves, fully to life; the twinlike, dancing lesbians at the party; giving the heavy, Tom Buchanan, at least the benefit of being comic relief.
All of this, however, is only to make way for the central bold choice: casting Mia Farrow as Daisy. Her shallow interpretation and apparently hysterical, ditzed-out performance spoils the film for many, and perhaps always will. However, in my view (which is certainly open to question) this simply unmasks the central enigma of the book which is not fully apparent at all on paper, and never could be. Why this obsession? It is what drives not only the surface action of the book but also the symbolic understructure.
One shakes his head, says, "There must have been more than this." I think not. The key is in Gatsby's pregnant, odd observation, "Her voice sounds like . . . money."
Perhaps such a thing simply cannot be filmed. However to me, the film adds a marvelous dimension to an American classic not achievable in any other way. It lays bare a small, sheer void, around which the turbulent world of Gatsby swirls.
Movie Review: A Great "Gatsby"!
Summary: 5 Stars
This stunning production with its splendid cinematography and its intelligent script by Francis Ford Coppola captures the essence of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel of the man who pursues his preposterous dream. Robert Redford is utterly convincing as the enigmatic protagonist, Gatsby, whose personality "seemed to face . . . the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you, with an irresistible prejudice in your favor" [Fitzgerald, Chapter 3]. Young Sam Waterston portrays a believable Nick Carraway, Fitzgerald's narrator and empathetic observer; and while some reviewers have criticized Mia Farrow's performance, in my view, she is pitch perfect as the shallow, spoiled young woman whose "artificial world was redolent of orchids and pleasant, cheerful snobbery and orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness and suggestiveness of life in new tunes" [F. Ch. 8]. Farrow's performance makes us understand how Daisy's porcelain beauty and fecklessness could ignite the obsession of a man who has, after all, invented his own persona. Both of them are equally unreal.
The production values are superb. The settings, the music, and magnificent costumes--the pastel beaded silks and satin pumps, the feathered head-dresses--convincingly portray privileged wealth of the 1920s, which would soon plummet into the Depression--the great Valley of Ashes that infected the 1930s and indeed contaminated the entire twentieth century.
Movie Review: Careless people
Summary: 5 Stars
How anyone can possibly say The Great Gatsby has no relevance to modern sensibilities only indicates the lack of emotional depth in the reviewer (see below)! There is a lot more to the book (but not necessarily the film) than flashy flappers dancing the Charleston, although it does make a perfect setting. The story is about hollow, careless people. The main flawed character in the novel and film is Daisy, but because she is so beautiful, Gatsby cannot see the ugliness behind her facade. He loves her, but like another reviewer said, she didn't care. Daisy didn't really care about anything.So what is the relevance of The Great Gatsby today? The story is so full of meaning that one review could not hold it all. Only the book can, and to some extent the very good film. What angers me is audiences today only see the superficial qualities of the story (wow! It's about flappers) and dismiss the message (or can't comprehend it). It is not a book that provides answers, but it does illuminate more brilliantly than anything else the nature of those careless people who never love anyone except themselves. Who hasn't run into a few of these people in their life? Never fall in love with a Daisy.
As for the film; brilliant Nelson Riddle score, cinematography, costumes, casting (Karen Black as Myrtle and Mia Farrow as Daisy - absolutely brilliant choices!), and a faithful screenplay.
Movie Review: Superb Production
Summary: 5 Stars
I simply love this film and can't say enough about it. The production standards are first-rate and the enitre cast is absolutely superb! When I try to single out one actor I can't, because all of their performances are wonderful, but I must say I especially love Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway. He's perfection! Many people didn't like Mia Farrow cast in the role of Daisy, but I think she's splendid. Even the minor roles are perfectly cast. Howard Da Silva as Meyer Wolfsheim is only in one scene, but he's such a wonderful actor that he makes it memorable.
One of my favorite aspects of this film is the original soundtrack, and I say original, since for a time it was replaced with something too gastly for words on the video release. It just about ruined the film for me. And I'm so glad the original is back where it belongs (on the DVD version).
This version really captures the book for me and I could watch it every day and never tire of it. The sets and costumes are stunning and the screen adaptaion is simply wonderful. I originally saw this film in the theatre when it was first released and I must say it's aged very well. Some of the costumes look slightly dated, but not enough to be distracting. I highly recommend this version, especially over the pitiful A&E remake.