Customer Reviews

Great Expectations (Animated Version) [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although David Lean has become famous for his epic films, I've always thought that the "smaller scale" movies he made in the Forties and Fifties were better, and of those, Great Expectations is the best. From the eerie opening scenes in the graveyard to the musty, lifeless house of Miss Haversham to the full circle development of Pip's life, the film is flawless. Charles Dicken's always colourful assortment of characters are brought to life by an expert cast, each a standout in their performance. The black and white photography is beautifully shot, and the film is full of memorable moments (especially those involving Miss Haversham). This is a film that should be seen!

God, that David Lean! he didn't only create huge epics, he also made them small! Great Expectations is a wonderful film, with great acting, especially by newcomer Alec Guinness, wo would go on to star in 7 more Lean films!

I rented this after recently reading the book for the first time. The book is wonderful, and so is this movie...except that the ending is different. I doubt Dickens himself would be happy with the change. Nevertheless, it's a very good film in all respects but read the book first if you hate Hollywood endings.

For those of you who read my review on the book, you know that I gave it 4 stars. Well, this movie in no way falls short of the book. To be sure, some characters and events are deleted. But I don't feel the deleted events and characters were that crucial. Pip (the naive child who grows into a benevolent gentleman), Joseph (the warm hearted but bumbling brother in law of Pip), Pocket (Pip's faithful companion), Jaggers (the lawyer who knows a lot of secrets), Estella (the cute but obnoxious young girl), Miss Havisham (the eccentric and sympathetic character), and Magwitch (the convict with several redeeming qualities) all perform their roles quite well. This is one of the rare movies I have seen where no one really steals the show. (Rather, the actors all seem to know their characters, and they stay within the boundaries.) The scenery is simple, but well done. My reactions during this movie were pretty much the same as when I read the book. As when I read the book, I felt terror in Magwitch's 1st scene; I felt sorrow when I learned of Miss Havisham's story; I felt sad when the poor benevolent Joseph became an embarrassment to Pip; I felt deep chills when Pip's benefactor revealed himself; I grew short in breath when the links between Havisham and Magwitch were revealed;... Even if you have already read the book, you should watch this. I have read all of Charles Dickens' novels, and I was very impressed.