El Gran Gatsby [Blu-ray] [Spain Import]

It is shocking that, in the Age of Political Correct-ness, students and teachers have moved away (with polite obtuseness) from the central issues of personality and identity--when they run parallel with race. Gatsby, for instance. Why was the character so willing to part with his original name, Gatz? --The answer: Gatz (a corruption of Katz) is a German Jewish name. The character--a social climber of the 1920s--was emulating the wealthy and privileged Anglo-Saxon society from which he was forever barred. This issue of the ethnic upstart, who tries--to somewhat embarrassing effect [old sport]--to efface his past and assimilate is a major theme of 20th Century American culture. But everywhere, this very obvious component of the story is neglected . . . or else passed over in an embarrassed conspiracy of silence as director after director cast they wasp-ish looking actors they can find--at one stroke eliminating the characters motivation in changing his name, moving away from his home and creating a false past. Secondly, it goes a long way toward explaining his rejection by the shallow Daisy character. In this current cinematic treatment of Gatsby, all of the mistakes are repeated from previous motion pictures--with a whole new batch of gaffes, blunders and just plain bad acting. For this reason, I suggest to anyone who sees it to read the novel--itll make much more sense.

A brooding, dark film which is semi-autobiographical on the lives and times of the Fitzgeralds. F. Scott and Zelda both personified the roaring twenties excesses and sexual liberation of the times. All of which came crashing down with the collapse of the stock market and the events brewing in Europe. A winsome look back to the life and times.

After reading the novel The Great Gatsby for school I went out and rented the 1974 version of the movie. I absolutely adored it. It showed the characters personalities as they were in the book. After that we watched the 2001 version in school and I found it to be almost unbearable. The acting was poor exspecially on the part of Toby Stephens (Gatsby). He seemed like more of a mix of Joey from friends and Boy George than a love struck man. While the hit and run scene did prove to be rather entertaining, over all I feel that this movie is just a waste of time and you would be much better off watching the 1974 version.

The Great Gatsby Movie Review My English teacher Mr. M made us watch the movie The Great Gatsby is about a man named Nick who moves to Long Island on the West egg. The movie shows the different adventures that Nick experiences while living there. He knows Daisy, and Tom of the East egg, and quickly meets Gatsby that is his neighbor on the West Egg. Nick experiences, and witnesses many things while living on the East coast, such as love, obsession, betrayal, and following a hopeless dream. Im a critical person once Ive read a book, and then watch the movie. I usually always wind up thinking that the book was better. This is a natural thought of mine basically because the actors, or actresses in the movie arent as well represented as they are in the book. To my surprise though, the movie The Great Gatsby had a great cast, that I thought did an excellent job at playing their parts. Paul Rudd as Nick was fabulous, he was just as I pictured him. He was nonchalant, humorous (unintentionally), and observant. The only thing that threw me off with this actor, was that I had seen him in another film (Clueless) which made it a little harder to take him as seriously as desired. Toby Stephens played the role as Gatsby, a part in which the character had to be just right. Personally, I had pictured Gatsby as an older man, a little bigger. But Toby Stephens played the part better that I think anyone else could. He had the charm, the smile, and his acting ability was superb. The movie accuracy to the book was well done. I feel though that the book tried to make more of a point of how the American Dream was similar to Gatsbys dream of having Daisy back, and the movie made it more of a deep love tale. Maybe I got the wrong impression while reading, but I expected the movie to really stress on how people have dreams but will never really be able to obtain those dreams. Everything else though, such as characters, themes, symbolism, and setting were correct . The movie seemed to play the same settings that were in my mind while reading. You could tell how much work was put into this movie in order to make it as relevant as possible. The production of the film, such as costumes, pacing, camera angles, and music were fine. I feel that they are all very important factors in order to have a successful movie production. The costumes were correct for the time period. The camera angles captured the perfect moments. The music that was played in the background made it so I could feel more emotion, and really feel for the characters pain, or happiness. Im very glad that Mr. M allowed my English class to watch The Great Gatsby because I really thought it was a great movie. The characters, settings, themes, everything was exactly how it should have been. D.P.

+++++ This movie is based on the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 to 1940). The novel that takes place during the Jazz Age (period of the early 1920s) is basically about a poor man named Jay Gatsby who seemingly through The American Dream becomes rich. But the rich Gatsby still wants to obtain another dream: to be reunited with the love of his life (Daisy) who is now married. It is this second dream that proves to be Gatsbys ultimate downfall. The novel has many subtle themes that run through it (thats why its considered a classic). This movie that features Mira Sorvino as Daisy and Toby Stephens as Gatsby is basically faithful to the above summary (and actually takes lines from the novel itself) but unfortunately because it is rushed (I mean rushed in the sense of telling a complete story; the movie itself is actually slow-moving) the viewer never has time to appreciate the storys finer subtleties. The movie starts out fine but as it proceeds, it does not spend enough time on key story elements. For example, Gatsby is not presented as a somewhat mysterious person but we simply see him as poor one moment and then suddenly rich. Daisys character is not well developed at all. In fact, one key and important scene that reveals Daisys true character is omitted altogether. Thus, those who have not read the novel may be somewhat confused especially during the movies second half and if they are not confused, then they will probably not understand why the novel on which this movie is based is considered a classic. The costumes, scenery, and cinematography in this movie are fantastic. Finally, the DVD (the one released in 2001) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has one superb extra: an A&E biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald. In conclusion, this movie, unfortunately, is a rushed adaptation of a classic American novel. (2000; 100 min; wide screen; made for T.V. (A&E); 12 scenes) +++++

as described thank you!

I love this movie. I bought it as a replacement to one that got damaged

Ive bought the 1974 version and was impressed by it. The 1974 version provided us with a perspective which is similar with the book. However, this 2000 version offered a different perspective to see the past of Gatsby and Daisy. It has more details about Gatsby and Daisys love in the past which is origin from the movie director I think. In addition, this movie has more description of Carriways relationship with Jordan. Its a fresh way to comprehend the book. Worthy of trying.

Its an alright movie, and if you feel like giving it a try I would certainly say go ahead. However the book is much better.

I tried watching this, the fourth or fifth film adaptation of Fitzgeralds superb 1925 novel The Great Gatsby but I stopped a mere 10% or so of the way through because this production is simply WRONG. The casting doesnt work, for starters. Paul Rudd mugs and often looks like hes about to deliver a comic line. Martin Donovan is too soft and oddly petulant as the powerful, arrogant and callous (sociopathic?) Tom Buchanan. Ms. Sorvino lacks Daisys ethereal musicality and seductiveness....no one looks or feels right in their roles. The screenplay is so literal at times, quoting narration and dialogue word for word, and then suddenly leaves out sentences or phrases or simply makes up dialogue, scenes and plot points. The actors hair is wrong, not at all in period and that is one production detail that always irks me. This is a poor production of a great American work. But far, FAR worse will be the up coming Baz Luhrman travesty, the trailer for which I just cringed through. It is a 3D monstrosity, perhaps better titled Moulin Gatsby. When o when are movie makers going to realize and respect the fact that they cannot ever capture the poetic delicacy and lyric beauty of Fitzgeralds writing??? How to ever capture the essense of his vision of The American Dream turned corrupted nightmare? Gatsby is a work best enjoyed and savored from the page, without intermediary interpretation, adulteration. Hollywood, YOU are the vile dust floating in Gatsbys wake and fouling the dream.