Movie · 1974 · Drama, Romance · 2h 24m · PG · English
Curator score: 1.9/10 (58.2K ratings)
Gone is the romance that was so divine
Overview
Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.9/10
IMDb: 6.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.22/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 40%
Metacritic: 43
TMDB: 6.3/10
Director
Jack Clayton
Production
Paramount Pictures
Cast
Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Scott Wilson, Sam Waterston, Lois Chiles, Howard Da Silva, Roberts Blossom, Edward Herrmann, Elliott Sullivan, Arthur Hughes, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Beth Porter, Paul Tamarin, John Devlin, Patsy Kensit, Marjorie Wildes, Blain Fairman, Norman Chancer
Where to watch
fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A handsome, melancholy adaptation with strong period atmosphere and a few vivid performances, but it often feels emotionally distant and overlong. It’s worth watching if you’re interested in Fitzgerald adaptations, 1970s prestige drama, or stories about wealth curdling into emptiness; less so if you want a sharply alive or especially passionate version of the novel.
Best for
fans of literary adaptations
viewers drawn to 1970s prestige dramas
people interested in wealth, class, and social decay
audiences who like restrained, mournful romance
Skip if
you want a fast-moving or emotionally explosive romance
you prefer adaptations that take big stylistic risks
you’re looking for a lively, modern-feeling take on Fitzgerald
you dislike slow, mannered period dramas
Overview
Jack Clayton’s adaptation is elegant, carefully composed, and often emotionally chilly in exactly the way the story can be. The production design and costumes do a lot of the heavy lifting, creating a world of polished surfaces, social performance, and private disappointment. Robert Redford gives Gatsby a soft, almost unreachable glamour, while Mia Farrow leans into Daisy’s fragility and evasiveness.
Worth noting
What keeps the film from fully taking flight is that same restraint. The movie can feel dutiful where it should feel feverish, and the central romance never quite catches fire. The result is less a tragic plunge than a slow, shimmering drift toward disappointment.
Bottom line
Still, there’s value in its understatement. It understands the novel’s emptiness, the way money can stage beauty without creating meaning. If you want a stately, mournful Gatsby rather than a sensational one, this version has a quiet, persistent sadness.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ellie ✨ (2.5★) · 950 likes
during the interminable runtime of this adaptation, I kept thinking about the Ellipsis Scene™, and how it's in neither this adaptation, Truman Capote's draft of a script, nor Luhrmann's 2013 version. I would go so far as to assume it's never been in any of the adaptations of the book, because it would be impossible to film without addressing the fact that Nick Carraway has sex with a man. here's the scene:
Then Mr McKee turned and continued on out… more
sofi✨ (3★) · 667 likes
“mia farrow writes that the main reason she was unable to create on-screen chemistry with co-star robert redford was because of redford’s total absorption in the Watergate scandals that were rocking washington dc at the time of filming. farrow says redford spent all his free time locked in his trailer, watching the political scandal unfold on television” (blonde episodes)
we sure stan a man who knows his politics
eely (2.5★) · 498 likes
robert redford: *sweating profusely* old...sport
mia farrow: *hysterically* i’ve never SEEN such beautiful shirts before
jules (4★) · 419 likes
Everyone is so fucking sweaty and gay. I think it would be cool if this movie featured the song vroom vroom by charli xcx.