Based on the classic Charles Dickens
story, Pip, an orphan, suddenly is thrust into high society by an unknown
benefactor. However, he becomes obsessed with Estella, a beautiful but rude and
prideful girl who tells him that she can never love him, and yet Pip does not
seem to waver in his feelings.
The film is directed by David Lean – the master
British filmmaker who in his early career (black & white films) made Brief
Encounter, Oliver Twist,
and Hobson’s Choice and in
his later career (sweeping epics in color) The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence
of Arabia (in my opinion the greatest film ever made), and Doctor
Zhivago. Great Expectations is one of his best early career films.
Lean worked with composer Walter Goehr and production
designer John Bryan (who won
an Oscar for his work) on the film, but it is his collaboration with
cinematographer Guy Green
(who also won an Oscar) that is best remembered. The photography (especially
when Pip meets Magwitch) in the film is incredible and highly influential. Even
today, it is considered among cinema’s best. Green also shot Oliver Twist for
Lean and the film’s opening is visually astounding.
The film stars Tony Wager and John Mills as Pip
(young and adult respectively), and features Valerie Hobson, Jean Simmons (who
is fantastic, making her film debut), Bernard Miles, Francis Sullivan
(who is also great in Oliver Twist), Finlay Currie, Martita Hunt, and Alec Guinness (who
would go on to star in five more Lean films).
Great Expectations won two Oscars
on its five nominations (including Best Picture and Best Film, but it probably
should have won in retrospect considering the other nominated films). It is a
must-see for fans of David Lean and those looking to have a good working
knowledge of the greatest British films.
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