"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." This quote is from the classic novel, The Great Gatsby, which was adapted into a movie in 1974 and again in 2013. There are several broad, distinct differences and similarities in these two digital creations. The directors of both The Great Gatsby movies provide very different experiences for the viewers. Jack Clayton, the 1974 director, remained very close to the book's plot and lines, while Baz Lurhnmann, the 2013 director, kept with the book's plot, yet manipulated specific details throughout different scenes. The 1974 version was a film of its time. This means the style is equipped to its time, so the dancing is the Charleston and the music remains to the classic 1920s. However, the 2013 movie is also of film of its time, so it uses much more vulgar dancing and modern music (Conner 2). The director chooses these things along with vivid colors and 3-D effects to make the roaring '20s look truly "roaring" (Covert 1).
The setting between the two movies is two very similar and two very different places. The 1974 movie uses real places to show its setting while on the other hand, the 2013 movie uses many computer special effects to show the setting. For example, Gatsby's house in the 1974 film is a real house and the 2013 movie uses special effects to make the grand, luxurious house. Another difference is the original uses much plainer colors because of the limited technology of the time and the 2013 uses bright, vivid colors to make the viewers feel like they are a part of the parties, a part of the valley of ashes, or wherever the setting takes them.
The character, Nick Caraway, is one of the primary actors that is a source for differences and similarities between the two versions of The Great Gatsby. In the 1974 movie, the director kept Nick, portrayed by Sam Waterston, the same way as he is in the book (Conner 1-2).