The Great Gatsby- A Compare and Contrast between the 1974 and Modern Version (2013)

The 1974 version of The Great Gatsby was directed by Jack Clayton is a film based on the 1925 novel of the same name written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The first version of the film stars Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, and Karen Black, and Bruce Dern. Robert Redford stars as the title role of Jay Gatsby and Mia Farrow as his love and [object of his] infatuation, Daisy Buchanan.

The 2013 version of The Great Gatsby was directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, and Isla Fisher. Leonardo Dicaprio stars as the title role of Jay Gatsby and Carey Mulligan counters as his love interest the enigmatic Daisy Buchanan. Daisy as well as Gatsby can both be described as enigmatic but for different reasons. Daisy for being mysterious about her intentions with Gatsby, the audience is never quite sure what she is really thinking, at least in my opinion, and Gatsby for being mysterious and about his past and where in fact his wealth came from. We as viewers never learn that information. Both characters on the outside always seem to have their poker faces on and for that to be they can be described as enigmatic but for different reasons.

These films depict the love story between Gatsby and Daisy through the eyes of Daisy’s cousin and Gatsby’s neighbor Nick Carraway portrayed respectively by Sam Waterston in 1974 version and Tobey Maguire in the 2013 version.

Nick, in both films, narrates the love story between Gatsby and Daisy as well as the overall story. He was apart of both worlds, knowing everything going on around him, with the exception of Gatsby beyond that of his involvement with Daisy and prohibition, at least in the newer version it was more clear that Nick was aware of Gatsby's involvement with prohibition versus the earlier 1974 version.

I found both films to represent the novel accurately; however, there were more details in the 2013 version that followed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel more accurately than the 1974 version.

Once I watched both films, I couldn’t help but compare the way in which 1974 version portrayed the atmosphere and liveliness of the 1920's more accurately than the newer version.

Personally I enjoyed both films, but I liked the newer version just a little more because of the extra backstory it included about Gatsby, as well as the elaborate parties. I found the parties to be so extravagant, it was hard to believe the parties were real which is why for me as a viewer it was easy to get lost in the magic and fantasy it created.