Buy Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31) here, one of many top quality David Lean Classics products at DVD Dispatcher. We greatly appreciate your patronage at DVD Dispatcher and look forward to offering you great products and prices in the future.
Current Page: Home : Classic DVD Movies : David Lean Classics : Item 6 of 16
|
|
Features
Actors: John Mills, Tony Wager, Valerie Hobson, Jean Simmons, Bernard Miles
Directors: David Lean
Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Rating: 
Studio: Criterion
DVD Release Date: January 12, 1999
Run Time: 118 minutes
Average Customer Review:
  (37 customer reviews)
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Great Expectations (VHS Tape)
An Academy Award winner for Best Art and Set Direction and Best Cinematography in a black and white film, this 1947 version of the classic Dickens novel was adapted for the screen by British director David Lean. I can understand why it won those awards. Without the availability of modern technical effects, he was able to create a perfect atmosphere and sense of foreboding, keeping the mood and dark macabre feeling of the novel throughout. He also kept some key scenes intact, the young Pip's meeting with the convict, the mad Miss Havisham, and the ghoulish atmosphere in the law offices of Mr. Jaggers, whose walls are decorated with the death masks of clients he had lost to the gallows. In most respects, this film stayed true to the novel. But it is impossible to condense Dickens into a spare two-hour film. Perhaps it was because I had just finished the novel the day before, but I couldn't help but notice how some characters were missing, many scenes were eliminated, the ending was changed and the plot seemed an oversimplification of the one I had just lived with in the book for the past month. Without exception, all of the actors were excellent, but I wondered a bit at the casting. John Mills played the young pip who was supposed to be 20. In reality, he was 38 years old at the time and, in those days before plastic surgery, even had some crows feet around his eyes. Alex Guinness, who was cast as Herbert Pocket who befriends the adult Pip, was actually 32 and both of these gentlemen just didn't have the freshness of youth that was so apparent in the Dickens novel. Age didn't seem to matter though in the casting of the convict. Finlay Currie, with his craggy face and threatening bearing was 68, but he played the role as if it was created just for him. Jean Simmons played the young Estella, her performance overshadowing that of Valerie Hopson who was cast as the older Estella. Marita Hunt played Miss Havisham, exactly as I had pictured her in my mind's eye. And Francis L. Sullivan's gave a perfect portrayal of the lawyer Jaggers. Perhaps if I had let several decades pass between my reading of the book and my viewing of the film, the edges would have softened on my memory and I would have not been as critical. The film was really good and a great way to experience Dickens through this director's interpretation of his work. It certainly is a wonderful story and I've noticed from a bit of research on the Net that there are nine movie versions, three TV programs and four TV series. I plan to keep on the lookout for other videos which might exist of these offerings as I am now fascinated by the story and by the variety of interpretations. I do recommend this 1947 version, especially if you haven't read the book. It is totally in keeping with the intentions of the original.
Comment | Permalink |
function showYesNoCommunityResponse(uId,result,value) {
var msgLayer = getElement("thanks" + uId);
if ( result == "SUCCESS" ) {
msgLayer.innerHTML = "Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided to other Amazon.com readers and reviewers. Your vote will be counted and will appear on the product page within 24 hours.";
} else {
showVoteErrorResponse(msgLayer,result,value);
}
}
(Report this)
|
|
Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31)
List Price: $39.95
Available from Amazon
Price: $29.99
Updated on 11-27-2008.
|
dvddispatcher.com offers top quality Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31) in association with leading DVD movie retail stores such as Amazon.com. DVD Dispatcher features hot deals on Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31).
![]()
|
|
Increase your websites importance by offering your visitors one-click consumer reviews and purchase reviews for "Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31)" and similar Products from DVD Dispatcher. Just copy and paste the code into your page and add on-topic value to your site.
Provide a link to this product on your website:
Your Code will look like this:
Read reviews and get product information on Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31)
|
|
|
|
See all 37 customer reviews...