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My assignment was to compare the novel The Great Gatsby to the movies which were made in 1974 and 2000. While the basic Idea of the book was expressed In both movies, I choose a version of 1974 because It seemed to have more noticeable details than the version which was realized In 2000. In my opinion the 2000 version TLD do a better Job In expressing the Ideas of the book. The 1974 version did an excellent job In portraying the Jazz Age. The scenes of Gatsby party seemed almost real. The parties included the
Charleston, dancing, drinking, and many other things that were common in the sass’s. In the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby Tom appeared to old. Tom was also supposed to be a hulking man, but was barely bigger than Nick. This took away from the movie because a bigger Tom would seem to have more control over Daisy. It would also add to the feeling that Daisy is afraid of what Tom’s abuse and would explain why she is so passive around him. Aim Barrow, who played Daisy, did not have the right voice for this role. After reading the book.
I thought that Daisy would eve a nice, soft, loud voice that could get your attention and hold onto it. Daisy appeared to be very attracted to Nick, her cousin. In the majority of scenes that she saw him, she made him kiss her and asked him If he loved her. I never got the impression that Daisy was attracted to Nick this much from the book. I also noticed that Daisy did not pay as much attention to her daughter as she did in the book. Also in the book, Myrtle was supposed to be ugly, overweight, dirty, and the exact opposite of Daisy. In the movie, Myrtle is dressed in white, skinny, and not ugly.
By doing this they took away from the viewer the opportunity to realize that Tom was interested in a woman that was the exact opposite of Daisy. The scene that surprised me the most was when Myrtle punched through the window when Tom, Jordan, and Nick were parked outside. What made it worse was that she actually put her hand into her mouth when it was bleeding profusely. Important parts of Gatsby past were left out of the movie. The entire Dan Cody part of his life was never mentioned, therefore not showing you that Gatsby was once a working man.
Another part of his life, James Gates, was never mentioned to Nick. The book had Gatsby actually tell Nick that his real name was James Gates. The book stated that five years had passed since Daisy and Gatsby had last seen each other. The movie clearly stated that eight years had passed, which makes Gatsby look crazier than he is. It also added drama that was not needed, by making the time longer. The movie also only had a couple of rumors spread about Gatsby past. The book had new rumors on what seemed like every page in some chapters.
Daisy had at least three times where she appeared floating in the book. The movie had no scenes of this and the only reference to floating was when Daisy told Gatsby that she wanted to push him around in one of the clouds. I also noticed that every main character dressed like an Easter egg, when I expected more white and high priced clothing. In the book, Nick met Gatsby at the party and had no Idea who he was. The movie had Nick summoned to Gatsby and they met In a more formal fashion. This meeting did not last as long and Nick never mentioned that he was in the war.
Nick knew who Gatsby was right from the start, which kept the dialogue snort and less was learned about the two men. In my opinion, the most important scene in the book occurred when Daisy ran over Myrtle. The movie left out this gruesome yet enjoyable scene completely, which took away from the viewing experience. The loss of this scene also added to the confusion of who killed who in the movie. As a result of this scene, Gatsby is killed and then Wilson kills himself. The writers made a terrible decision by taking out this important precursor to the locusts at Gatsby.
The 2000 version had an excellent accident scene, something which was needed in the 1974 movie. I strongly feel that this movie was not an accurate portrayal of the book, The Great Gatsby. Important scenes such as Owl Eyes, Dan Cody, Myrtle getting run over, and many more were left out. The end of this movie left the viewer with so many questions about these subjects. The book, however, tied up almost all the loose ends, leaving the reader satisfied with what they had read. Like so many others, the book was better.