The Great Gatsby: 1974 vs 2013
As the Artistic Assessor, my goal is to compare two different scenes from two theatrical takes on the Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. The two different films I have chosen are the 1974 film by Jack Clayton, featuring Robert Redford as Gatsby, and the recent 2013 film by Baz Luhrmann, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Scene I: Gatsby's Death
The first scene I've chosen from both movies is Gatsby's death. This is an important scene where, in the book, Wilson sneaks into Gatsby's mansion while Gatsby is swimming and kills Mr. Gatsby to "avenge" his wife, Myrtle. He then kills himself afterwards. This is a tragic scene that ends the life of Jay Gatsby and gives birth to the legend that is the "Great Gatsby." Be warned, however, for you are going to be sad.
The clip above is Gatsby's death scene from the 1974 film. In this version, it follows the story in the book in that Gatsby's phone does not ring which is in accordance to the original text. This is different than the 2013 film, as you will see later. Gatsby dies while floating on an inflatable from three shots to the back. His death is sudden and quick, and it gives the audience very little time to comprehend what just happened. I imagine that this scene was very captivating to the audience back then because they probably were not use to surprise factors like this. This is different than the 2013 film and is more accurate to the book. Another difference, one that actually differentiates from the novel, is that Wilson passes through and inside the mansion. The novel only has him hiding outside in the garden. The book reads, "...the gardener saw Wilson's body a little way off in the grass" (Chapter 8). In this depiction, Wilson is also more sane and humane. Before killing Gatsby, the viewer can see the nervousness in him and how scared he was. Although this is a small detail, this portrays Wilson in a completely different light than the same character in the 2013 movie.
The clip above is Gatsby's death scene from the 2013 film. In this clip, Gatsby reacts to a call from Nick, our narrator. As stated before, this is unlike the novel and is an example of the many artistic liberties the recent film has taken. Another example is Gatsby's death. He has time to react to the single bullet shot, instead of three, and he dies face up, reaching for the ringing phone, reaching for Daisy. I believe this change was made to appeal to modern audiences. Because many more people in today's age are expected to have read the Great Gatsby, the same scene from 1974 just won't have the same impact as before. We know that Gatsby is going to die and the sudden death won't do the novel justice because of our knowledge. As such, the director chose to dramatize the scene so that it focuses more on the subject rather than the surprise factor. Because of this, it may stray a little from the original source. Another difference from the other film is the portrayal of Wilson. In this version, he shows little to no worry when killing Gatsby, and the film makes him looks like a maniac or lunatic in general.
While the two versions show many differences, they still effectively and emotionally address Gatsby's death. In my opinion, I prefer the 1974 depiction of the scene just a little bit more because of its faithfulness to the original material. The quick and sudden death of Jay Gatsby is very powerful and tragic. While I do appreciate the 2013 film for appealing to modern audiences, I think it was too far from the novel. I also prefer the 1974 movie due to how is shows Wilson as a character and as a relatable human being instead of a psychopath.
Scene II: Gatsby's Party
In an effort to brighten up the mood after showing you those tragic moments, the next scenes I've picked are those depicting Gatsby's party - his first one from the book, to be exact. This is one of Jay Gatsby's signature trademarks. From the book, his party is said to attract every sorts of people from every sort of places. As you can expect, these are joyous and extravagant.
The clip above is the party scene from the 1974 film. While the atmosphere may seem boring and tame, everyone there is having the time of their lives. You can see the happiness and excitement on the expressions of each actor. Looking at this clip, you must consider the time period. This party only appears lame because it differs from our modern expectation of large parties. In the time period, this probably would have been considered crazy and lavish and wild. As with the earlier clip from the same film, this scene is very strict to the novel. The costumes are realistic and accurate, the lighting is very believable for the time, and the music is very faithful to the period. Everyone is dancing a similar dance-the Charleston,I presume-yet everyone is enjoying themselves. While the lighting may be dimmer, the mood is very bright. Of the two movies, this adaption is clearly a lot more realistic.
The clip above is the party scene from the 2013 film. This party is the epitome of all large party; it's the party that every other party wants to be. For what is supposed to be in the 1920's, this party is very impressive even to today's standards. Everything is extravagant. There are wild costumes, ones with many frills and stripes and feathers abound. The lights are bright and colorful everywhere. The partying is wild and people are dancing all sorts of ways and performing all sorts of stunts. Besides just dancing, there are people swimming, gambling, and eating among other things. In all, the party is a lot crazier than the 1974 version. Besides that, the music is also very different. It is a modern take of something that could have been listened to back in the day. It has a more hip-hoppity feel to it and is very addicting. Obviously, the 2013 film version is a lot less realistic and a lot less true to the book and the time period. However, this depiction of "the" Great Gatsby's party is very powerful.
Even though I preferred the realistic version of Gatsby's death, I favor the 2013's lavish and fantastical party scene. As a realistic depiction of a grand party, this version probably breaks all sorts of logic and history. However, the insane amounts of awe-inspiring awesomeness of this version exemplifies the character of Jay Gatsby very well. I really do believe that this party supports the outlandish and unreachable status of Gatsby that the book was trying to portray.
Verdict:
All in all, both films are great adaptions of Fitzgerald's work. Each has their own charm and their own appeal. While I have not watched either of the movies, the clips that I have seen leave a very strongly positive mark in my mind. Personally, I feel that the 1974 version would be the one that I would like more. This is due to its accuracy to both the noel and the time period. It clearly does the book a lot more justice than the other one. The 2013 version, on the other hand, is very fantastical and glorified. Whichever film you like will be a matter of whether you prefer the truthful of the ideal. It appears very fictional and it appeals heavily on your emotions. In conclusion, your favored film boils down to one question: do you prefer the "story" of the Great Gatsby or the "legend" of the Great Gatsby?
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