I hated the book, and the movie was boring.
The first film version of “The Great Gatsby” came out in 1926, but as far as I know, it’s lost.
Having never read the book, or never seeing any prior movie versions, I went to see the new one with Leonardo DiCaprio and I liked it. It was 2 1/2 hours long, but I didn’t notice the length. It moved pretty fast.
Never got the hype about this book or Fitzgerald. A bunch of rich snots who don’t love each other and endlessly simper about life and each other.
When I was in high scholl, before Carter’s Dept of Edjumacation, I had to read this book as part of a literature class.
When the literary revelation of the relationship of Gatsby and ‘a friend’ was made in class, half of us through the book on the floor, and just told the teacher, we are reading no more of it, fail us now, and be done with it.
The 30-ish year old teacher had us stay after school, and had the prinicpal come and chat with us. We told him, that we are not going to read anything about any ‘odd folks’, and that it would not matter outside of the classroom, about learning of those ‘folks’.
For our efforts, our clear thought and definition of our stance, and the logical vocal debate that afternoon with the principal, we awarded by the prinicpal, a “B” for the year, released from class for the rest of the school year and final class examinations, and the teacher, fired.
This was in Connecticut.
Keep this movie out of the hands of Islamic extremists.
Leni