Brilliant and touching

Best movie ever!

A Major Disappointment

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

This is a fabulous adaptation of Charles Dickens' magnum opus. The performances were marvelous all around, with special mentions to Finlay Currie (Magwitch) and Francis L. Sullivan (Mr. Jaggers). Further, the dialogues taken verbatim from the source material served to appease the biggest fans of his work (among which I must, with no restraint, count myself as one).The only qualm I have with this film is that it is guilty of overlooking some key moments and plot threads which made the original work the true classic it is. I speak not so much of the creative licence which justified some subtle deviations at no cost of diluting the storyline, but rather of outright omissions such as Magwitch's account of his miserable past, Orlick's twin assaults and Pip's tear-filled apology to Joe on his final return. I also felt the ending did not do Dickens justice; it felt unnecessarily rushed and passionate for an exchange should leave the viewer still wondering.These musings aside, Lean's Great Expectations (1946) remains a classic in its own right; one that stands alongside Dickens' work as an equal.9/10

I decided to watch this just off the cusp tonigt, and I can honestly say it was not what I was expecting! There were a huge amount of twists and turns, which made me not want to take my eyes off the screen. I recommend anyone to watch this classic film, which in my opinion is what a film should be, the thrills, the tension, the drama, the writing, the acting by the entire cast, and not to mention David Lean's superb direction! 10/10

"Great Expectations" is another Dickens novel adapted for the screen and directed by David Lean. I recently saw "Oliver Twist" and thought it was exceptional in all respects, and I would put "Great Expectations" in the same category. Both pictures excel especially in two areas; acting and photography, and I should also mention their faithfulness to the original story.David Lean said he wanted no other actor for Pip than John Mills, and it would seem he was right, as Mills captured the essence of Pip to the last jot. Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham was an inspired choice, but the best choice was Francis L. Sullivan as Jaggers. Sullivan elevated any film he appeared in with his bigger-than-life characterizations and his elegant speaking voice, a George Sanders sound-alike.It's all been said in many other reviews, so I just wanted to weigh in with these few comments above. With Cineguild and The Archers, British film production reached its zenith during the 40's to mid 50's, and since that time the movie industry has not been able to recapture the same standard of excellence on either side of the Atlantic, form over substance being the rule nowadays.

There are only a few directors who can take a Classic Book and create a equally Classic movie. Written by Charles Dickens, it was transferred to the Silver Screen in 1946, by David Lean. It relates the story of young 'Pip' ( Tony Wager) who was orphaned and sent to live with in laws. While there he is set as apprentice to learn the Blacksmith trade and one dark night has an encounter with two escape convicts. However it is as a youngster, he comes to visit a strange old woman with a secret agenda for pip. Rich, solitary and always morose the old woman called Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt) brings pip in contact with a pretty young girl named Estella (Jean Simmons) to be his companion. The two grow to adulthood, becoming fond of one another. During the following years Pip suddenly comes into enough money to become a Gentleman, yet never knowing just who has becomes his patron. The Black and White movie has become a worthwhile movie and a Classic. The list of Cast Members add resonance to the film and indeed notable in their own right. Actors such as John Mills, Valerie Hobson and Alec Guinness. This movie is easily recommended to all. Great Book and Great Movie. ****