Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Great Gatsby Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 11, 2023

Elliott Nugent's "The Great Gatsby" (1949) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include an archival documentary about the life and cinematic legacy of Alan Ladd; new program with professor Sarah Churchwell; new program with critic/writer Christina Newland; archival program with writer/film historian Alan K. Rode and David Ladd; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

All major cinematic adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s popular novel are problematic. This is an indisputable fact, so choosing the best one is essentially a game of preferences.

The problem with this game of preferences is that each film introduces such different reads of the original material from the novel that they become extremely difficult to compare and judge. For example, Baz Luhrmann’s film arranges a number of key developments from this material correctly but produces characters that alter its tone and identity. Elliott Nugent’s film does the opposite. It rearranges several key developments but produces characters that are superior replicas of the ones from the novel. Jack Clayton’s film features solid performances but gets the tone of the drama so wrong that they become irrelevant.

But what is highlighted above is simply a sample of the flaws, so a proper examination of what each film does and how would reveal a lot more that could have been done better. What is more important in this proper examination? The chronology of the events or the accuracy of the characterizations? The tone of the drama or the stylistic appearance of the visuals?

Alan Ladd’s Jay Gatsby is the most unique replica of the famous character, but it is difficult to declare with authority whether this is a good or bad thing. Ladd emerges as a very ambitious young man who creates an opportunity to remove himself from his miserable environment by befriending a very wealthy elderly man and eventually inheriting his fortune. Years later, Ladd moves to Long Island and begins organizing huge parties in his lavish home whose purpose is to reunite him with a girl (Betty Field) he was once madly in love with. The girl, who is married to one of Ladd’s neighbors, is unaware that her former boyfriend has reappeared. Eventually, Ladd reestablishes contact with the girl and learns that her husband (Barry Sullivan) has been having an affair, which makes his ultimate goal of reclaiming her easier. However, shortly after he convinces the girl to walk away from her cheating husband a terrible accident dooms their reunion.

The mystique that surrounds the original character is largely absent in Nugent’s film. It is partially because of the narrative construction which introduces flashbacks that are not in the novel, but primarily because of Ladd’s performance. Indeed, Ladd’s Gatsby is a former bootlegger that is not ashamed of his past or wealth, an unapologetic doer too, but he is also a reformed man with a brittle side that becomes very easy to recognize as his relationship with the girl of his dreams is resumed. So, Ladd creates an admirably complex character, but at the same time is a transparent character that ultimately is not at all difficult to judge. (In the novel, Gatsby never creates the impression that he is a reformed man who begins a new chapter in his life after he reconnects with his former girlfriend. There are a lot of gray areas in his profile that make the novel fascinating to read and deconstruct).

Unfortunately, Field is not a good match for Ladd. She plays a one-dimensional character that moves through several situations uttering the right lines but never convincing that a man like Ladd would risk everything, including his life, to reclaim her. The remaining supporting actors are slightly better but do not look much more authentic either.

While nicely lensed by the great John F. Seitz (Double Indemnity), the film is difficult to describe as a visual stunner. The footage from the decadent parties for instance looks quite modest and is disappointingly short.

*According to press materials, Via Vision Entertainment’s release is sourced from a 4K master that was prepared in 2022. However, The Great Gatsby has not been fully restored.

The Great Gatsby Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Great Gatsby arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

According to press materials, the release is sourced from a new 4K master that was struck at Universal Pictures in 2022. It is great that the film was redone in 4K, but I find it hard to believe that the current master will be the definitive master for The Great Gatsby. Why? This master produces a lot of visuals with strong organic qualities, but the film needs to be properly restored because many of the same visuals reveal obvious surface imperfections, such as large nicks and scratches, blemishes, dark spots, etc. There are a few areas that require proper repair work as well. The grayscale looks good, but this is another area where several improvements can be made. For example, different ranges of blacks and grays must be rebalanced, while some whites could look healthier. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. However, there are plenty of grain fluctuations that produce unstable density levels. All in all, the new 4K master most definitely makes it easy to enjoy The Great Gatsby, but this could and should have a much more attractive healthy organic appearance. A proper 4K restoration will deliver it. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Great Gatsby Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is clear and easy to follow. It is stable, too. However, if you turn up the volume, as I did, you will notice that in certain areas there is unevenness and sporadic thinness that could be addressed with modern digital tools. If the fill is fully restored in 4K, I assume that the audio will be remasted and these will be the key improvements that will be made.

The Great Gatsby Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man - this archival documentary, offers an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Alan Ladd. There are some particularly interesting comments about Ladd's years at Paramount and his tremendous box office power as well as the production and reception of The Great Gatsby. Included in the documentary are clips from interviews with Lizabeth Scott, director Edward Dmytryk, Mona Freeman, and biographer Marilyn Henry, among others. In English, not subtitled. (57 min).

• Professor Sarah Churchwell on The Great Gatsby - in this new program, professor Sarah Churchwell discusses some of the key themes that define F. Scott Fitzgerald's popular novel and explains why it is so difficult to film. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Critic/writer Christina Newland on The Great Gatsby - in this new program, critic/writer Christina Newland discusses F. Scott Fitzgerald's popular novel and its themes as well as its cinematic adaptations, and specifically Elliott Nugent's film and Alan Ladd's performance in it. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Interview with David Ladd - in this program, writer/film historian Alan K. Rode interviews David Ladd, son of the great actor. Some of the more interesting comments address the production of The Great Gatsby, Alan Ladd's involvement with the film and his fondness of it, the reception of the film and the great actor's time at Paramount. The interview was conducted on May 12, 2012. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new commentary was recorded by professor and film solar Jason. A. Ney.

The Great Gatsby Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you ask five admirers of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby to carefully explain what it is about, you will get five very different answers. Why? Because The Great Gatsby is not so much about unique characters and relationships as it is about grand ideas and their ability to define our perceptions of virtually everything that gives structure to our lives -- wealth, status, love, happiness, etc. This is why a proper cinematic adaptation of The Great Gatsby will likely never materialize. While imperfect, I think that Elliott Nugent's film is the most satisfying cinematic adaptation of the classic novel, but everything that is great about it can be traced to the quality of Alan Ladd's performance. The supporting cast, I think, is quite underwhelming. Via Vision Ebtertainmnet's release of The Great Gatsby is sourced from a new but quite rough 4K master that was prepared at Universal Pictures. It has a very nice selection of bonus features and is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.