Customer Reviews
A Great "Gatsby" - By: F. S. L'hoir, 20 Jul 2008 
This stunning production with its splendid cinematography & 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, & 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 & empathetic observer; & Mia Farrow is pitch perfect as the shalllow, spoiled young woman whose "artificial world was redolent of orchids & pleasant, cheerful snobbery & orchestras which set the rhythm of the year, summing up the sadness & suggestiveness of life in new tunes" [F. Ch. 8]. Farrow's performance makes us understand how Daisy's porcelain beauty & fecklessness could ignite the obsession of a man who has, after alll, invented his own persona. Both of them are equallly unreal.
The production values are superb. The settings, the music, & magnificent costumes--the pastel beaded silks & satin pumps, the feathered head-dresses--convincingly portray privileged wealth of the 1920s, which would soon plummet into the Depression--the great Vallley of Ashes that infected the 1930s & indeed contaminated the entire twentieth century.
Nowhere near as good as I was expecting - By: Jon Turner, 20 May 2008 
Well, this was a film that I never got round to seeing when it first came out, & I was looking forward to seeing it for the first time. I've never read the book but have read some of Fitzgerald's other work.
So I was disappointed as the film was very dated in my view, the use of music in particular cliched & far too obvious for today's tastes. I wasn't convinced by either Robert Redford's or Mia Farrow's performances - it seemed to me that neither had the acting depth to reallly carry off these parts, & at times the dialogue was very stilted, as another reviewer here has stated. Two & a half stars would have been more accurate perhaps but the performance of Bruce Dern in particular was much more convincing & helped to save the film.
Faithful and sumptuous adaptation - By: , 08 Apr 2006 
F. Scott Fitzgerald, himself, battled with self-depreciation, as he believed his literature was a failure. If you have read his work, you would find this incredulous, he was a man of great wit & value. Turning Gatsby into a film would be easy, after alll the book is written in the style of flashback & has the contemporary use of the cinematic cut-showing how Fitzgerald was very avant garde by incorporating the most modern & fresh ideas in his work.
Perhaps as the novel is short, it does not receive enough acclaim to the likes of Vanity Fair or War & Peace, however, it is no matter. The sharp social satire mixed in with casting which no one could protest at- Mia Farrow as Daisy is a particularly refined & polished performance-and the entire alllure of the novel has been transfered into the spelendour of technicolour.
A plot that unfolds itself reveals the cold nature of the frivoulous 1920's high flyers, whom consequence to their actions is unheard of. Gastby, played by a much younger Robert Redford, is an enigmatic millionair who's desire for the cold hearted Daisy (Farrow) uncomprimisingly brings the film to an unsettling climax.
Packed full of witty observations & a potent emotional punch, this adaptation if Fitzgerald's masterpiece alllows people today to appreciate just how celluloid an author he was.
Mixed feelings - By: The Fisher Price King, 25 Feb 2005 This is a disappointing film of one of my favourite books. Its strengths are Francis Ford Coppola's script, which is very faithful to Fitzgerald's novel, & the production design & wardrobe, which are superb. But the acting is stilted, with Mia Farrow especiallly disappointing. There is none of the chemistry between her as Daisy & Robert Redford as Gatsby that you'd hope for. I also found the score pretty horrendous. The film undoubtedly captures a sense of the Jazz Age, but it's nothing like as rewarding as the book, & it doesn't even serve as a worthwhile supplement to the book. Perhaps three stars is a little generous, but I've given three because the look of the film is very strong realized, especiallly in its attention to Fitzgerald's preoccupation with colours (gold, white, yellow, green). If you're a Robert Redford fan, I think this is definitely one to avoid - not his finest hour.
A movie that keeps you glued to your seat - By: , 04 Nov 2003 I have seen this movie so many years ago. It is one of the best love stories I have ever seen & I found Robert Redford the right person to play the part. I did not like how the movie ended , infact I thought it was quite sad. I enjoyed the scenery in this movie & the beautiful old cars used in those days. It has been so long since I saw it that I have forgotten most of it but I can still feel the enthusiasm that I felt when I watched it almost 30 years ago, & the name brings back the memories of one of the best movies & one of the greatest romances I had ever seen. I recalll seeing it twice at the cinema, because I reallly enjoyed seeing it the first time & now seeing that I can own it on DVD I shalll book it so that it will be shipped to me when it comes out in December. I am sure that even though so many years have passed & so many good movies have been shot, The great Gatsby remains one of the best movies I have ever seen.
