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saw Great Expectations last night for the first time (the 1946 David Lean version)

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We were in the mood for some more Dickens after watching Roman Polanski's recent Oliver Twist. Don't know why it took so long to discover this gem-what a wonderful film! The opening scene in the church graveyard is a marvel of atmosphere and suspense-the wide eyed child actor that plays the young Pip is terrific, no less so is the escaped convict Magwitch. Many scenes have the atmosphere of the best Universal horror classics-particularly those in the crumbling mansion of Miss Havisham (played wonderfully by Martita Hunt) with the rats, cobwebs and decayed wedding cake. I understand some critics felt John Mills was told to play the adult Pip, but I thought he did just fine. I was more dissapointed in Valerie Hobson as the older Estella-she was the weakest link in Bride of Frankenstein, too (as the fiance of Victor Frankenstein). Jean Simmons is unbelievably beautiful as the young Estella (she goes on my own personal desert island babes list), and the roles of the lawyer and Pip's Uncle Joe are also very well played. Great film score, too.

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Great Expectations may not be... - Harmonia 01:16:55 04/16/06 (0)
... Lean's "best" film, but it's my favorite of his. Wonderful cast and elegantly shot.
LoA is gorgeous, but it's a bit of a muchness on the small screen.
One of my favorite novels so I was very uneasy when I first - tinear 13:48:06 04/13/06 (1)
sat down to see this classic. I wasn't disappointed. A brilliant adaptation.
I also feel similarly about "Wuthering Heights."
Jean Simmons? Yeah, a super babe. As beautiful and intelligent as any that has graced the screen. She was just perfect as the strong-willed, independent woman in "Big Country."
And... I recall she was terrific in "Spartacus," too. Fact is, I have a hard time recalling anything in which she wasn't wonderful.
- Re: Yes absolutely brillant--- - patrickU 01:19:11 04/14/06 (0)
  And the more you drink it (!) the more you like it.
Re: saw Great Expectations last night for the first time (the 1946 David Lean version) - rico 13:30:51 04/13/06 (0)
The remake updates the story and while it is nowhere near the classic that the Lean film is it contains an unbelievable erotic scene between Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke

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