M Campbell I just finished re-reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". It's a novel I hated as a child -- was forced to read it for English in high school -- but appreciated much more as an adult. Then I went to Netflix and watched this movie again. It is, for the most part, a faithful adaptation of the novel but Fitzgerald's beautiful, succinct prose is the only reason to read this tragic tale to begin with. No matter how big the stars or how gorgeous the sets the bottom line remains the artistic assembly of words in the novel. Intermittent narration doesn't cut it and the story itself isn't much to begin with. It's ALL about Fitzgerald's use of words. Lacking that is lacking everything that makes "The Great Gatsby", the novel, something of value. This movie compared to the novel is like...a paint by numbers kit for a masterpiece by Van Gogh or an elementary school band's rendition of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.So, I guess I'll say, if you haven't read the novel you may enjoy this movie. And even if you've read the novel the movie may satisfy on some level though the heart of it has been cut out. But do yourself a favor and read the novel. Read every word. Drink them in. Admire the skill with which Fitzgerald uses language. Then go watch "The Great Waldo Pepper", another Redford film, and enjoy.

Mobithailand The film has come in for a lot of criticism as well as some praise but as far as I can determine it has been generally regarded as a bit of a flop, both financially and critically. I actually quite enjoyed it. There has been much criticism of the acting, especially Mia Farrow in the role of Daisy, but for me, it worked quite well. I thought the lead male actors were particularly good and Redford made a sterling effort in portraying the somewhat enigmatic Gatsby on the big screen. The costumes, scenery, design and cinematography were exceptional and brought to life everything in the way that I had imagined when I read the novel. The music, ably orchestrated by Nelson Riddle, was, of course superb and so evocative of the Jazz Age era.Reading some reviews afterwards, (which ranged from hating it to loving it), I found several reviewers complaining that the screenplay, by no lesser personage than Francis Ford Coppola, was very mundane and lacked the beauty of Fitzgerald's original prose. These comments caused me to wonder about the wilful deceptions of reviewers who are determined to put the boot into a film they don't like. When I saw this movie, I had only just read the book, and Fitzgerald's wonderful writing style was still firmly in my mind; so as I watched the movie, I kept thinking to myself; 'Did they actually pay Coppola to write this?' Not because it was terrible, but because it seemed to me that he had copied the narrative, word for word, from the original novel. It was essentially a 'cut and paste' job. It was quite remarkable how he succeeded in using so much of Fitzgerald's own prose, whether it was from the mouth of 'Nick', by way of narration, or part of the general dialogue. And even when the writer, (or producers), had decided to include new scenes that were not in the novel, you could barely detect any change in the style of the dialogue from that written by the novelist. To me, far from being mundane, the screenplay was a master class on how to be as faithful as possible to the original book. As with the book, it is all quite subjective, but I have sneaking suspicion that the film is now held in much higher regard than when it was originally released.

aramis-112-804880 THE GREAT GATSBY is one of the great works of world literature. The screenplay for the 1974 version is about as perfect as any book transfer can be.Jack Clayton may not have been the best choice for director. How much better might it have been if the screen writing kid, Francis Ford Coppola, had been given a chance? Too bad we'll never know.The star role, Nick Carraway, is perfectly limned by Sam Waterston. Some of the lesser parts are also wonderful. Lois Chiles, Edward Herrmann, Karen Black, Howard da Silva, all are superb.The three major roles of the "romantic triangle" ruin the movie. Bruce Dern would have been much better as George.And then there is the infamous miscasting of Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Pretty-boy Redford just doesn't look like the sort of guy who fought his way to the top. In fact, he's pretty bland all around. I don't have another choice for his part, but someone with a harder edge would have been preferable. Redford's not even there. He's nothing more than the sum of a lot of nice suits.If Redford was a mistake, Farrow was a disaster, turning in a bizarre performance as Daisy. The character is flighty, but Farrow ought to be institutionalized. If it's true Tuesday Weld was up for the part, someone blundered. Another good choice would have been Blythe Danner, but she was probably not considered enough of a star (though she could act Farrow off the screen in a showdown).Excellent screenplay, excellent production design. I love 1920s styles and I can really wallow in this movie, except when Redford and Farrow, the blandest couple ever, come on. Then I fast forward. Sam and Lois make a much more interesting team. Too bad we can't flush Gatsby and Daisy altogether. When Nick says "You're better than the whole damn bunch put together," we wonder who he's talking about. Certainly not Redford's lousy Gatsby.

cricket crockett " . . . that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool," Daisy Buchanan recounts to her cousin\confidante Nick Carraway regarding her innermost thoughts on the birth of her only child, "Precious" Pamela. Actress Mia Farrow campaigned desperately to attain this role of "Daisy." Yes, this is the same Ms. Farrow who'd become, first, Hollywood mogul Woody Allen's mistress, then his mother-in-law. THE GREAT GATSBY (1974) is a perfect barometer for this looming Real Life Oedipul Mess. Daisy is a loose cannon; a careless, hit-and-run type of a person, as fickle as a magnet. She allows herself to be picked up by anyone with Big Money. As she careens through Life, totally oblivious to the carnage left in her wake, her tiniest creature comfort takes precedence over the very lives of the vast mass of humanity cursed with only a normal amount of wealth. Like Ms. Farrow, Daisy is a "beautiful little fool" willing to besmirch husband Tom the instant an opportunity for financial betterment presents itself. Many have argued that "Tom Buchanan" and Woody Allen are uncouth, as well as being socially inept (Tom spouts racist Nazisms, while Woody marries his daughters). The common Femme Fatale? Mia Farrow.