Way back in 1961, Dickens' classic novel "Great Expectations" was required reading for eighth graders in my school district. God only knows what eighth graders in New Jersey are required to read today. I don't want to think about that today. I'll think about it tomorrow. In spite of the fact that the book was literally shoved down our throats, I was impressed by the novel, and it marked the beginning of my long appreciation for its amazingly prolific creator. Wisely, my English teacher projected this movie on a screen for us, and it helped us in understanding at least some of the complicated plot elements.
Flash forward more than sixty years later, and I find myself enjoying director David Lean's outstanding achievement even more than ever. Having experienced life for the past six decades, I can appreciate many aspects of the production much more than I could at age 12, including the compelling circumstances and themes of the basic story, the superb acting of the British cast, and Lean's special touch as director. The entire mood of the film is successfully established at the very start in the spooky churchyard scene, and, unlike other reviewers, I never felt that the subsequent action ever let me down, thanks to an excellent script, fine direction, and a seemingly endless supply of fascinating, eccentric characters who are so ably brought to life by an exceptionally talented group of actors. That having been said, I won't dispute those who found Valerie Hobson's performance a bit of a letdown, especially when the standard set by the rest of the cast was so high. I also can't disagree with those who believe that John Mills was too old for the role of the grown Pip, but he was a great actor, and he truly excelled here in skillfully providing us with a wide variety of emotions and reactions.
Although the cast as a team is first-rate, accolades especially go to Martita Hunt as a superlative Miss Havisham, Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's a quirky, lovable buddy, Francis Sullivan as Jagger, Finlay Currie as Magwitch, Bernard Miles as Joe, and Freda Jackson as Mrs. Joe. I also thought that Tony Wager plays the perfect Pip, especially when good child actors seem to be a rarity, today and yesterday. Sadly, his life ended from poor health at the relatively young age of 58 after a long career, mostly in television. A young and beautiful Jean Simmons is as striking as ever in her role as the nasty, young Estella, which marked the beginning of a very successful career for her in both Britain and the United States. I would love to see her as Miss Havisham in the 1989 television series.
As to the ending, it was Dickens who was pressured by his advisors to change the original conclusion to a more positive one, so I can't blame the screenwriters, the producers, or the director for that.
Flash forward more than sixty years later, and I find myself enjoying director David Lean's outstanding achievement even more than ever. Having experienced life for the past six decades, I can appreciate many aspects of the production much more than I could at age 12, including the compelling circumstances and themes of the basic story, the superb acting of the British cast, and Lean's special touch as director. The entire mood of the film is successfully established at the very start in the spooky churchyard scene, and, unlike other reviewers, I never felt that the subsequent action ever let me down, thanks to an excellent script, fine direction, and a seemingly endless supply of fascinating, eccentric characters who are so ably brought to life by an exceptionally talented group of actors. That having been said, I won't dispute those who found Valerie Hobson's performance a bit of a letdown, especially when the standard set by the rest of the cast was so high. I also can't disagree with those who believe that John Mills was too old for the role of the grown Pip, but he was a great actor, and he truly excelled here in skillfully providing us with a wide variety of emotions and reactions.
Although the cast as a team is first-rate, accolades especially go to Martita Hunt as a superlative Miss Havisham, Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's a quirky, lovable buddy, Francis Sullivan as Jagger, Finlay Currie as Magwitch, Bernard Miles as Joe, and Freda Jackson as Mrs. Joe. I also thought that Tony Wager plays the perfect Pip, especially when good child actors seem to be a rarity, today and yesterday. Sadly, his life ended from poor health at the relatively young age of 58 after a long career, mostly in television. A young and beautiful Jean Simmons is as striking as ever in her role as the nasty, young Estella, which marked the beginning of a very successful career for her in both Britain and the United States. I would love to see her as Miss Havisham in the 1989 television series.
As to the ending, it was Dickens who was pressured by his advisors to change the original conclusion to a more positive one, so I can't blame the screenwriters, the producers, or the director for that.