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The Great Gatsby is a jazz-age tale of love and the American Dream. In this 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby wants to be with Daisy Buchanan. However, he's too poor and has to fight in the war, so he becomes a bootlegger to make some money. Two film adaptations of this novel were made: once in 1974 by Jack Clayton, and again in 2013 by Baz Luhrmann. Though these movies have similarities, such as following the basic plot of the novel, they're very different in characterization and overall atmosphere. Both versions of this film pretty much stick to the plot of the novel. The pacing is different, but they both have the same main plot. There are scenes that were added in both movies, like the one where Wilson kills Gatsby.
However, the similarities end there. The portrayal of a few characters really differs between the two movies. For instance, in the 1974 version, Daisy Bunchanan is a weak and pretty over acted character who isn't that likable. In the 2013 version, she's stronger, not as over acted, and a little more sympathetic. Myrtle Wilson acts ridiculous in both versions, but her portrayal in the 2013 one really takes the cake. In this version, she's a lot louder and more garish, and throws a huge party rather than a relatively quiet one, like in the 1974 version. The most obvious difference between the two movies is the atmosphere. While the 2013 version of the film is fast paced and vivid, with lots of soundtrack, the 1974 one is very slow, and doesn't add much soundtrack to fill in the gaps. The contrast between the parties in the two versions really accentuate these differences. The parties in the 1974 rendition were definitely parties, and had lots of dancing and music and people getting drunk. The 2013 version's parties, however, were loud, bright, and intense. They were way more crowded, and things like the fireworks were really exaggerated to fit the 2013 perception of wealth. Both movies were successful in their times and they do have similarities, but they're different in their portrayal of characters and atmosphere. These movies both rep