It is not only an effective, emotionally gripping rendition of the book (made plain by the very dislike so many people express for its intentionally dislikable characters), but it is a visually stunning one, capturing all the hollow gold of the glitzy era the book so devastatingly indicts, and the performances by nearly all the players are superb (with special kudos to Sam Waterston for the very personification of Nick the narrator). For all those who say the movie is lacking depth or who criticize Mia Farrow's rendering of Daisy as flighty, your very criticism reveals the film's great achievement of realizing the main point of the book. Fitzgerald's point was that the Roaring Twenties WERE shallow, represented by the "rotten crowd" of "careless people" (quoted from the book, and in Nick's commentary at the end of the movie) that very much included Daisy, as well as Tom. I don't know how any honest reading of the book could interpret Daisy as "sensible," as one critic put it, and even "vulnerable" is a stretch. Quoted from book and paraphrased in movie: "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made..." Farrow's fey performance portrays her character very accurately, best summed up by the exchange between Nick and Robert Redford's Gatsby: Nick: "She has an indiscreet voice." Gatsby: "Her voice is full of--money." Moreover, Bruce Dern as Tom, though less physically imposing than implied in the book, is nevertheless the consummate, racist bully he is supposed to be, and caused me to cower instinctively whenever he spoke.

The movie faithfully conveys the story of a deeply flawed, not atypical, hero, Gatsby, living in a world he built on dreams of his own fabrication, including his lovely Daisy. He is a man of such endless hope, romance, and a kind of chivalry (much is made of his war heroism in the book, and this is emphasized in several scenes in the movie) that is not without egotism, pomp, and an "eagerness to be liked" that Redford brings so well to the role. Almost noble in his earnestness and belief in romantic love, he rises from poverty in an age (not unlike our own?) when money is confused with class and nobility. Being unable to compete in that crass, careless, selfish, shallow world (for how long can anyone, when there's always someone richer?), he and his dreams are doomed. One of many great acting moments in the film takes place when Nick advises Gatsby he "can't repeat the past." Redford looks back at him, incredulous, almost as if he'd been struck, "Can't repeat the past? Of COURSE you can!" The words ring out, ominous in a hopelessness obvious to everyone but Gatsby.

I agree with others below who praised the performances of some of the lesser characters as well, including a genuinely heartbreaking portrayal of Gatz, Gatsby's father.

Dump the critics, read the book, and buy the film.

Many reviewers asked that the original score be considered for any re-release. Well, on the 30th anniversary of the film, here it is.."The Great Gatsby" with the original soundtrack. Thank you!
Fitzgerald would have been pleased with the adaptation and the accompanying soundtrack. It is obvious how much of a difference the music makes in contributing to the overall experience.
The DVD is not to be viewed in a context of pure entertainment. It is a relevant story about the desire to possess what one does not have, regardless of the cost. The script is taken directly from the key points in the text. The film has a dream-like quality due to the utilization of a unique lens.
If one seeks an action packed thriller, this is not it. The film is for the romantic and sentimental. Anyone who has sought someone or something only to lose it all in the end will be able to relate. The song "What'll I Do" underlies Gatsby's insecurity. Redford and Farrow make a wonderful Gatsby and Daisy. As for the script, it does contain some lines which could be considered corny in our present time. The script, however, is incorporated DIRECTLY from the novel. I have read the text more than 25 times.
In 2002, I viewed the movie at Rosecliff mansion in Newport, RI, where several of the scenes were filmed. The version presented was the one without the original score. What a disappointment!

As an educator, I use the film to provoke several questions. Among these is the Estella-like (Dickens) character of Daisy...why is not Daisy content with Gatsby? Was it merely a whirlwind romance with Gatsby deceiving himself as to Daisy's feelings? How often do people in our society nowadays do the same?
I would provide more detailed substantiation in support of this version, but as I am serving in the armed forces in Iraq, I have little computer access. I really appreciate the release of the DVD, especially in time for Christmas. At least it will make Christmas just a little better for this one soldier in the war. If you are a romantic, sentimental, reflective person, you will enjoy this film. For those of you writing negative reviews, may I respectfully suggest you reconsider your remarks in consideration of the restored soundtrack?