Best film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, according to Rotten Tomatoes

The debate over what constitutes the great American novel never ends, yet The Great Gatsby by F. F. Scott Fitzgerald always makes her way into this conversation. It may be tempting to reduce the author’s work simply to a timeless depiction of the Roaring Twenties, but Fitzgerald’s book also transcends illusions while maintaining the charming mystery surrounding his titular character. Once the fog dissipates, and both Jay Gatsby and his (only) friend Nick Carraway are revealed, what is left is a profound feeling of emptiness. Don’t get me wrong: “The Great Gatsby” is a story on The inherent emptiness of the landscape, the extreme wealth, and the relationships of comfort that have the illusion of depth. However, once we encounter rare flashes of poignant honesty in a story so tragic, the empty lure of green light at the heart of the novel takes on a chilling sheen.

Surely such a complex and beloved book has spawned at least one screen adaptation that comes close to capturing its elusive essence…right? Well, there are no easy answers, as some cinematic renditions of “The Great Gatsby” are actually worthwhile, despite their fundamental flaws. the The most recent (and popular) release is Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 release Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, which has been criticized for losing itself in the brash hedonism it aims to criticize, leaving little room for subtlety. I would argue so Luhrmann devotes ample space to tense interior momentsEspecially while exploring the crumbling mythology that surrounds Gatsby when he is on the verge of losing everything. However, the film doesn’t come close to doing justice to the complexities of its source material, though it never pretends to be something it’s not.

If we want to consider Rotten Tomatoes as a metric for determining the best Gatsby adaptation, then 1926’s “The Great Gatsby” won 52%. Yes, that’s the highest total to date, and every other film adaptation of the novel — as opposed to loosely inspired films — has a “rotten” score on the platform.

Before we talk about the 1926 version, let’s look at another version An adaptation of the 1974 novel “The Great Gatsby”, with Robert Redford Mia Farrow takes on the roles of Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Director Jack Clayton remained faithful to Fitzgerald’s novel (Very faithful to the point of melancholy), bringing memorable excerpts to life through committed performances and lively costumes. But despite those sincere efforts, which included a competent screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola, the film fails to capture the hypnotic allure of the themes that continue to fascinate us, resulting in an adaptation that never dares to find its own place.

Going back to the 1926 silent drama directed by Herbert Brennon (“Peter Pan,” “Neptune’s Daughter”), we should certainly just acknowledge How much? It is different from the original novel. Despite being a direct film adaptation (and apparently the first) of the novel, it changes key aspects about the central characters, including Daisy’s (Lois Wilson) motives for rejecting Gatsby (Warner Baxter) and the underlying circumstances surrounding the fatal car accident toward the end. However, the basic beats of the tale are retained, as young Nick Carraway (Neil Hamilton) gradually sees Gatsby for who he is while also coming to know Buchanan’s cruelty and hypocrisy. However, in a strange departure from the novel, the film ends on an idyllic shot of the Buchanan family and their newborn, with no lingering hints of the tragedy to which they directly contributed (or the man at its center).

The reason Brenon’s film rarely appears in conversations about Gatsby is that it is now considered a lost media, with only the trailer and some short clips from the film available for viewing. It is also worth noting that Fitzgerald abhorred this adaptation, a description He described it as “corrupt, horrible and terrible,” although he did not elaborate Why. If your search for a “Great Gatsby” adaptation remains unsatisfactory, you can always give Robert Markowitz’s 2000 version a fair chance. It may not be much, but the film stars Paul Rudd in an impressive role as Carraway, which is perhaps the only redeemable property.