Comparison Of The Movie And The Great Gatsby

In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is introduced as the mysterious, wealthy neighbor of Nick Carraway who is famous for his opulent parties. However, throughout the course of the story, Gatsby’s character unfolds in front of Nick and the audience. Nick learns Gatsby is in love with his cousin, the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, and throws parties in West Egg to get close to her. Gatsby confides in him how he fell in love with Daisy and came upon the riches that enables him to leave his past behind. In the progression of the story, Gatsby is shown to not be aloof and enigmatic, but a passionate and lonely character. Although the 1974 The Great Gatsby movie directed by Jack Clayton remains faithful to the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald,

Although Gatsby appears mysterious in both the book and the movie, the subtle differences in Fitzgerald’s portrayal reveals a glimpse into Gatsby’s private thoughts and vulnerability that is not shown by Redford in this scene. Nick’s regard of Gatsby also changes. While in the book, Gatsby seems lonely and approachable, the Gatsby in the movie seems cold and contemplative. The scene where Nick meets Gatsby is also different. In the book, Nick is introduced to Gatsby by chance at Gatsby’s party. He has a casual conversation with a “man of about [his] age” sitting at his table, only to learn the man is Gatsby the same time as Gatsby realizes Nick is his neighbor (51). The movie meeting is different; Gatsby sends a butler to find Nick and escort him to his office to exchange a few lines of awkward conversation. Because Gatsby is more isolated from his party and the meeting is more formal in the movie, the mystery shrouding Jay Gatsby is thicker and Gatsby seems less personable to Nick in the movie than in the book. This scene sets the distance that continues exists between Nick and Gatsby throughout the course of the movie. At the end of the story, Gatsby and Daisy are the guilty parties involved in a