Robert Redford had the face. He had the tan, the jawline, and that specific brand of 1970s golden-boy charisma that should have made him the perfect Jay Gatsby. But when The Great Gatsby film 1974 finally hit theaters, the critics didn't just dislike it; they practically staged a riot. They called it "lifeless." They said it was as stiff as a starched collar. Vincent Canby of The New York Times basically sighed on paper, complaining that it had the "momentum of a glacier."
It’s weird, honestly.
You’ve got a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola—fresh off The Godfather, mind you—and a cast that included Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, and Sam Waterston. On paper, it’s a powerhouse. In reality? It became a fascinating case study in how a movie can be technically gorgeous and emotionally hollow at the exact same time. Yet, decades later, we’re still talking about it. The Ralph Lauren costumes alone changed American fashion forever. If you’ve ever worn a polo shirt or a linen suit to a summer wedding, you’re basically Cosplaying Redford’s Gatsby.
What Went Wrong With the Great Gatsby Film 1974?
Most people think a movie fails because it's poorly made. That wasn't the problem here. Jack Clayton, the director, was obsessed with the details. He wanted the 1920s to look real, not like a costume party. But that obsession might have been the very thing that killed the vibe.
The movie is long. It clocks in at nearly two and a half hours.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is famously short and punchy. It’s a slim book that feels like a fever dream. The The Great Gatsby film 1974 feels more like a long, humid afternoon where nothing happens. Redford plays Gatsby with such extreme restraint that he almost disappears. He’s supposed to be "great," right? But in this version, he’s just a guy standing in the corner of his own party looking slightly confused about why everyone is there.
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Coppola later admitted he wrote the script in about three weeks while living in a hotel room in Paris. He was exhausted. He stuck so closely to the book’s dialogue that the actors didn't have room to breathe. When you take words meant for the page and force them into a movie without any "cinematic" translation, things get clunky. People don't talk in real life the way Nick Carraway narrates in a book.
The Mia Farrow Problem
Then there’s Daisy Buchanan. Mia Farrow is a legend, but her Daisy in the The Great Gatsby film 1974 is polarizing. Some fans think she captured the "fluttery" nature of the character perfectly. Others find her incredibly annoying. Daisy is supposed to be a "beautiful little fool," but Farrow plays her with a frantic, nervous energy that makes you wonder why Gatsby spent five years obsessed with her.
Bruce Dern, however, is the secret weapon. As Tom Buchanan, he is terrifying. He’s a big, hulking, racist aristocrat who looks like he could snap a polo mallet over his knee just for fun. While Redford is busy being pretty, Dern is actually acting. He brings a menace to the screen that the rest of the film desperately needs.
The Fashion Legacy That Outlived the Script
Let’s talk about the clothes because, frankly, that’s why this movie still matters. Paramount Pictures did something genius/evil: they partnered with brands like Ballantine’s Scotch and Gimbels department store to sell "Gatsby-style" products before the movie even came out. This was "The Gatsby Look."
Ralph Lauren was hired to do the men’s costumes. He wasn't a household name yet. He used the The Great Gatsby film 1974 to showcase a specific vision of American aristocracy. Pink suits. Silk vests. White flannels. It was soft, it was romantic, and it was wildly different from the polyester, wide-collared nightmare of the mid-70s.
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- The Pink Suit: When Gatsby wears that pink suit, it’s a plot point. It shows he’s "new money" and lacks the subtle taste of the old guard.
- The Textures: You can almost feel the silk and the heavy linen through the screen.
- The Influence: After the movie premiered, sales for men's formalwear skyrocketed. Designers started looking back at the 1920s for inspiration for the first time in decades.
Even if you hate the pacing, you can't deny the movie is a visual masterpiece. The cinematography by Douglas Slocombe is hazy and golden. It looks like it was filmed through a glass of expensive champagne. This "dreamy" look became the standard for how we visualize the Jazz Age today.
Why 1974 Still Beats the 2013 Version for Purists
In 2013, Baz Luhrmann gave us Leonardo DiCaprio and a soundtrack featuring Jay-Z. It was loud. It was fast. It felt like a music video on Adderall.
Comparing the two is like comparing a slow-cooked meal to a firework show. The The Great Gatsby film 1974 might be "boring," but it respects the silence of the novel. There is a specific loneliness in Fitzgerald's writing that Luhrmann’s version completely ignores in favor of spectacle.
Redford’s Gatsby feels like a man who is actually hiding. DiCaprio’s Gatsby feels like a man who wants to be seen. Which one is more accurate? Well, Fitzgerald wrote Gatsby as a "phantom." He’s a guy who exists more in people’s rumors than in reality. In that sense, the 1974 version gets the vibe of the character right, even if it fails to make him exciting.
Also, Sam Waterston is arguably the best Nick Carraway we’ve ever had. He has this perfect "observer" face. He looks like he’s constantly judging everyone while simultaneously being fascinated by them. Toby Maguire in the 2013 version felt a bit too wide-eyed and innocent, whereas Waterston feels like a guy who’s actually losing his soul piece by piece.
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Surprising Facts About the Production
- Marlon Brando almost played Gatsby. Can you imagine? It would have been a completely different movie. He wanted too much money, and the producers thought he was getting too "sturdy" for the role.
- The weather was a nightmare. They filmed in Newport, Rhode Island, during a heatwave. The actors were dripping in sweat while wearing heavy wool suits. If they look miserable in those garden party scenes, it’s because they actually were.
- Truman Capote was fired. He was the original screenwriter. He wanted to make the movie a gay romance between Nick and Gatsby. The studio panicked and brought in Coppola to do a "safe" version.
- The "Cursed" Production. There were rumors the movie was cursed because of the constant delays and the fact that the cast didn't seem to get along. Farrow and Redford reportedly had zero chemistry off-camera.
Is It Worth Watching Now?
Honestly, yeah. But you have to know what you’re getting into.
Don't watch it if you want an action movie. Don't watch it if you're tired. Watch it on a Sunday afternoon when you have a drink in your hand and you want to look at beautiful houses and gorgeous clothes. It’s a mood piece.
The The Great Gatsby film 1974 captures the "hollow" feeling of the upper class better than almost any other adaptation. These people are rich, they are bored, and they are careless. The movie’s slow pace actually emphasizes how much time these people have to waste. They sit around drinking mint juleps and ruining lives because they have nothing better to do.
How to Appreciate the 1974 Version Today
If you want to dive back into this classic, don't just put it on in the background. Pay attention to the sound design. The distant sound of parties, the crickets, the clinking of ice—it’s very intentional.
Actionable Steps for Film Buffs:
- Read the script vs. the book: Look at how Coppola lifted lines directly from Fitzgerald. It’s a masterclass in why "faithful" isn't always "better."
- Study the lighting: Look at how Slocombe uses natural light to make the characters look like they are fading away.
- Watch the background: The 1974 film used real mansions in Newport (like Rosecliff and Marble House). These aren't sets. That’s real history you’re looking at.
- Listen to the score: Nelson Riddle won an Oscar for the music. He adapted actual hits from the 1920s rather than writing new "movie" music. It adds a layer of authenticity you don't get in modern period pieces.
The The Great Gatsby film 1974 is a beautiful failure, and that makes it way more interesting than a mediocre success. It tried to capture lightning in a bottle and ended up with a very pretty bottle. That’s enough to keep it in the history books.
Check out the original theatrical trailer if you can find it on YouTube; the marketing vs. the actual movie experience is a lesson in 70's studio hype. Then, go back and re-read Chapter 7 of the book. You’ll see exactly where Clayton was trying to go, even if he didn't quite get there.