Year: 1974
Runtime: 144 min
Language: English
Director: Jack Clayton
During the roaring 1920s on Long Island, a young man becomes captivated by the lavish lifestyle of millionaire Jay Gatsby. Drawn into Gatsby's world, he discovers the truth behind his mysterious parties and learns of Gatsby's relentless pursuit of the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Their connection intertwines with themes of wealth, social class, and the unattainable American Dream, revealing a poignant story of love and loss.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of The Great Gatsby (1974), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Nick Carraway travels by boat to East Egg to visit his cousin Daisy, Mia Farrow, and her husband Tom at their imposing mansion. There, he learns Tom and Daisy’s marriage is strained, and Tom is having an affair with a woman in New York. Nick, who lives in a modest cottage in West Egg, finds himself next to a mysterious tycoon named Gatsby, Robert Redford, a former Oxford student and decorated World War I veteran who regularly hosts extravagant parties at his home.
Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress, Myrtle, who is married to George Wilson, an automotive mechanic. George needs to purchase a vehicle from Tom, but Tom is there only to draw Myrtle to his city apartment. There she taunts him with Daisy’s name.
Back on Long Island, Daisy wants to set Nick up with her friend Jordan, a professional golfer. When Nick and Jordan attend a party at Gatsby’s home, Nick is invited to meet Gatsby privately, who asks him to lunch the following day.
At lunch, Nick meets Gatsby’s business partner Meyer Wolfsheim, a Jewish gangster and gambler who rigged the 1919 World Series. The following day, Jordan appears at Nick’s workplace and asks him to invite Daisy to his house so that Gatsby can meet with her.
Gatsby surprises Daisy at lunch. It is revealed that Gatsby and Daisy were once lovers, though she would not marry him because he was poor.
Daisy and Gatsby have an affair, which soon becomes obvious. While Tom and Daisy entertain Gatsby, Jordan, and Nick at their home, Daisy, on a hot summer day, proposes they go into the city as a diversion. At the Plaza Hotel, Gatsby and Daisy reveal their affair. Gatsby wants Daisy to admit she never loved Tom. She does not and drives off in Gatsby’s car. The others return separately to the island.
During the drive home, Daisy hits Myrtle when Myrtle runs into the street. Believing that Gatsby killed his wife, George later goes to Gatsby’s mansion and fatally shoots him. George then commits suicide.
Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby. There he meets the man’s father and learns Gatsby’s original name is ‘Gatz’. No one else attends the funeral.
Afterward, Daisy and Tom continue with their lives as though nothing occurred. Nick breaks up with Jordan and moves back to the Midwest, frustrated with Eastern ways. He laments Gatsby’s inability to escape his past.
Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 10:30
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