by Allan Fish
(UK 1946 118m) DVD1/2
Back to let in the sunlight
p Anthony Havelock-Allan d David Lean w Ronald Neame, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Kay Walsh, David Lean, Cecil McGivern novel Charles Dickens ph Guy Green ed Jack Harris m Walter Goehr art John Bryan, Wilfred Shingleton cos Sophia Harris
John Mills (Pip), Valerie Hobson (Estella), Finlay Currie (Abel Magwitch), Martita Hunt (Miss Havisham), Alec Guinness (Herbert Pocket), Anthony Wager (young Pip), Jean Simmons (young Estella), Bernard Miles (Joe Gargery), Francis L.Sullivan (Jaggers), Freda Jackson (Mrs Joe), Hay Petrie (Pumblechook), Ivor Barnard (Wemmick), Torin Thatcher (Bentley Drummle), Eileen Erskine (Biddy), O.B.Clarence (“Aged P” Wemmick), Edie Martin (Mrs Wimple), John Forrest (Young Herbert),
Among the many tribute programmes held at the time of David Lean’s death in 1991, one always sticks in my mind. One of his younger admirers related the tale of how he was asked by Lean which of his movies the younger man thought was his best. He replied “Great Expectations” and Lean apparently nodded and replied “quite right.” I’ve often thought about whether Lean was really in agreement, but either way it’s arbitrary. We’ll never know and in the end the fact that many critics agree with them is beside the point. The point is that Great Expectations is a well-nigh magnificent movie and the first true representation of Dickens on screen (the MGM David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities were great movies, but not truly great adaptations of Dickens’ world).
Detailing the plot, which can easily be found in dozens of literary almanacs and is known from numerous other versions on both the large and small screen, seems rather unnecessary, for the plot itself, though crucial, is rather the outer layer of Lean’s film. It’s rather the subtexts to the said plot and the visual magnificence of the enterprise that still thrills cineastes to this day. Just picture that opening in the graveyard on the Romney Marshes, with the young Pip running home to his abusive older sister, his scarf blowing in the wind, the wind blowing into the trees, standing like silent eavesdroppers on proceedings (some shots are very reminiscent of Bernard’s epic Les Misérables). He just knows someone’s there, the audience knows someone’s there, even the trees know someone’s there. Suddenly Pip is accosted by Magwitch and the most immortal scene in the film, and most important incident in Pip’s life, takes place. Everything that follows, retrospectively at least, is as a result of that meeting and it’s the importance with which Lean treats it that confirms this. It’s a sequence full of symbolism, incredible barren beauty and, considering its studio location, very evocative of ye olde English churchyard.
Among the many factors which contribute to the film’s critical success (including the gorgeous set design of John Bryan and photography of Guy Green, the latter replacing Brief Encounter‘s Robert Krasker), surely the casting is the real coup de grace. Though Valerie Hobson is miscast as Estella (oh for Joan Greenwood), Jean Simmons is perfect enough as the younger Estella to make one wish Lean had shot it a couple of years later so Simmons could play the older character. Her aside, the rest of the cast are immortals; John Mills and Alec Guinness as the two young heroes, Martita Hunt simply being Miss Havisham right down to the decaying wedding garb, the unforgettable Francis L.Sullivan’s crafty Jaggers, Bernard Miles’ gentle Joe, Ivor Barnard as that Dickensian spirit personified Mr Wemmick and, in an all-time great vignette, O.B.Clarence as the latter’s aged P. Yet in spite of the greatness of all the above thesps, it’s Finlay Currie’s noble, unfortunate Magwitch who touches the heart and remains there, a one film lifetime entry into the hall of fame. Anyone who cannot be moved by Currie’s performance when he first returns to London and Pip is ashamedly ashamed of him must be made of stone. He makes the film greater than it already was and if in retrospect Oliver Twist may be a more perfect adaptation, it’s still an amazing masterpiece from the greatest decade in British cinema history and worth a dozen Doctor Zhivagos.
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Arguably, David Lean’s greatest film. (He himself has actually stated he thought it was) No. 30 is (again) quite low for this, but I won’t rekindle numerical ranking arguments. This is one of the most beautifully-crafted literature-to-film adaptations ever.
I guess one could argue that the most vital element is John Bryan’s art direction, but I would also cite that ‘creamy’ cinematography by Guy Green. All in all, a visual feast of a film, that is one of the all-time classics. Great review by Allan Fish.
I do remember that graveyard scene at the beginning with the wind blowing quite vividly. Awesome film.
I love both Lean Dickens adaptation, but “Great Expectations” is rather in a class by itself. It’s beautiful to look at, without even considering its famed narrative specifics, and social significance. I agree with the above poster who hails it’s screenplay, and I would added as Mr. Fish declared, that the performances are all of the top-rank.
By any criteria that we apply to it, I think we can settle on the opinion that this is one of the greatest ‘visualized novels,’ even if like “Wuthering Heights” it is truncated. For what it does film of the novel, it loses nothing in that translation.
………….outstanding review and recap……….
Valerie Hobson is not so bad as Estella at all, but I admit all the others give legendary performances in the service of a first-rate adaptation. Very fine review.
They recently had a screening of this film at the Film Forum, paired up with “Oliver Twist” is a ‘restored print.’ Now that must have been the double-feature to attend!
I’m curious Mr. Fish, you consider this to be David Lean’s best film ever, yet you put this at #30 of the 40’s? Apparently David Lean doesn’t rank very high with you then. Most peculiar.
David, once you get onto your high horse perhaps you should put your reading spectacles on before climbing into the saddle. I state not that I find it his best, but that Lean himself possibly thought so. I feel no remorse at having it at no 30, only as I have said innumerable times before, it ullustrates the greatness of the decade.
OK, my apologies on that. I misread it.
I’m a huge David Lean fan, and I love this movie, but I’ve always been slightly disappointed with Valerie Hobson and the resultant lack of spark in Pip’s obsession for Estella. To me that was the center of the book, which is probably my favorite novel of all time. However, the film does a marvellous job capturing the rich atmosphere of Dickens’ work.
What did you think of Alfonso Cuaron’s 1998 update? He did not have as great a reputation then as he does now and the film was largely overlooked or dismissed. But while it compresses the final act of the novel way too much, I thought it actually did a better job capturing Pip’s desperate longing for Estella than Lean’s film.
Interesingly enough, Lean supposedly never read Great Expectations before making this movie. Amazing then, that so much of it seems to leap right from our imagination onto the screen – particularly those early scenes in the graveyard.
Hi MovieMan, welcome to WitD. I couldb’t agree more re Velerie Hobson, as I mentioned in the piece. I wasn’t a major cfan of the Cuaron film, nice to look at but it seemed a little shallow to me.
There have been several faithful TV versions, notably by the Beeb in 1999, but neither remotely comes close to Lean’s film, which is one of his greatest.
Hey Movie Man! As usual, you provide an insightful comment. I like the later GREAT EXPECTATIONS more than Allan, though I agree the 1946 film is the true masterpiece.
Movie Man, what is your blog’s address? I would love to add it to my blogroll, which will make it easy to visit.
Great blog by the way, I discovered it a while back but kind of lost track of it for a while. I wanted to take part in the 30s poll, but felt that there were too many classics from that era I hadn’t seen. Is a 40s one coming up, or did I miss that too? I’ll probably be on safer ground with the 50s.
The 1940s one is running now, movieman, there’s a link to vote at the top of the main page. If you want jogging what was out in the 1940s, check out the Movie Timeline on the right hand info bar on the main page.
God I love this film, and I never tire of watching it. The pugilistic bout between young Pip And Pocket always makes me laugh, always, and Maritita Hunt’s Miss Havisham is nothing less than magnificent. I agree that Hobson is miscast, if only because her tone and demeanor are so totally unlike Jean Simmons’ fiery, caustic Estella, hard to imagine her growing into someone so subdued. By the way, I just watched Alastair Sim’s portrayal of Scrooge the other night. While not on a par with Lean’s depictions of Dickens, Sim’s performance is peerless. And, correct me if I’m mistaken, but I do believe the young Pip shows up in a small part, a few years older, as the lad putting up the new sign for Scrooge and Marley’s partnership.
Hi Guy, yes, Anthony Wager was there in Scrooge, and yes, I don’t blame you for not tiring of watching it, neither would I.
Hello Allan. Two other notable members of the cast of Scrooge are John Steed AKA Patrick Macnee (the young Jacob Marley) and Ernest Thesiger ( the undertaker). As for the latter, I’d know those nostrils anywhere, but his performance is very low-key, not quite what you’d expect from the man best known for Praetorius. Was this film initially made for television? It has a stripped-down look that one associates with the medium as it looked at that time. And some of the fade-outs look designed for commercial breaks.
No, Scrooge was made for film, no question. In that film there were numerous gems, not to mention Peter Bull, who also provided the narration.
Yes, I’d totally forgotten about Bull. I had to rewind to make sure it was him, his back is turned initially, and his appearance is so brief. As character actors go he is a gem, always a treat to see him. It’s been a while since I’ve watched Cavalcanti’s Nicholas Nickleby as well, I may have to give that another glimpse soon. Unfortunately, the only copies available are public domain, I’d love to see a better print. Not great, but not bad either.
Yes, the previous R2 DVD release was pretty woeful. Luckily I have an old taped copy from C4 which was acceptable. Of other British Dickens films, there’s the 1935 Scrooge with Seymour Hicks, The Pickwick Papers with Jimmy Hayter and a rarely seen 1934 Old Curiosity Shop with Hay Petrie as Mr Quilp. And of course the 1987 Little Dorrit, recently reworked by Auntie Beeb.