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“The Great Gatsby,” though set in 1920s New York, is basically timeless. Why this classic novel has inspired so many film adaptations as opposed to others (“The Catcher in the Rye,” say, or “Gone With the Wind,” maybe) I can’t really say, other than the fact that the storyline is steeped in glamour and just the right amount of drama.
The gist, you’ll remember, is that ex war officer Gatsby, still obsessed with his old flame Daisy, amasses an illegal fortune in an attempt to win her affections back. It doesn’t end well for Gatsby, and one of his only friends is narrator and Daisy’s cousin, Nick Carraway. The novel is considered a cautionary tale about what it means to realize the American Dream and indulge in extravagance.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel has inspired not one, not two, but four adaptations that get more and more lavish as the years go on. There’s something about depicting the grand Gatsby parties that makes filmmakers want to take a stab at it. Do you have a favorite version of the film? Vote it to the top!