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Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31)

starring: John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Tony Wager, Jean Simmons, Bernard Miles
directed by: David Lean

: Great Expectations (1946) (Criterion Collection Spine #31)
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: Image Entertainment
EAN: 9780780021273
Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC
ISBN: 0780021274
Label: Criterion
Manufacturer: Criterion
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Criterion
Region Code: 1
Release Date: January 12, 1999
Running Time: 118 minutes
Sales Rank: 3465
Studio: Criterion
Theatrical Release Date: December 12, 1947



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Editorial Review:

Description:
One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean's Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens' masterpiece to robust onscreen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean's magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.

Amazon.com essential video:
David Lean's handsome adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel captures the warm humor and richness of character that so many filmmakers miss in their reverent recreations of Victorian England. From the nightmarish opening sequence on the windswept graveyard where young orphan Pip (Anthony Wager) meets the desperate escaped criminal Magwitch (Finlay Currie) to the shadowy, musty mansion of the widow Miss Haversham (Martita Hunt) where he first meets the impertinent young beauty Estella (Jean Simmons), Lean captures a childlike exaggeration of reality with his elegant expressionism. When Pip's sudden change in fortune sends him to London as a burgeoning gentleman in high society, Lean sketches a beautiful, bustling city. John Mills's performance as the adult Pip charts his change from the wide-eyed wonder and generous spirit of the child he was to the class snob transformed by money and social standing, an ugly flaw that Pip confronts when his mysterious benefactor is finally revealed. The outstanding cast also features Valerie Hobson as the grown-up Estella, now a beguiling enchantress, a bright young Alec Guinness in his film debut as Pip's jovial London roommate Herbert Pocket, and the imposing Francis L. Sullivan as the decidedly humorless lawyer Jaggers. Exquisitely photographed by Guy Green (who won an Oscar for his work). Lean and his collaborators effectively maintain the heart of Dickens's epic drama while cutting it to its essentials in this vivid, compelling film. --Sean Axmaker



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - My Favorite David Lean Film
I always found Dickens novels a bit difficult and hard to pay attention to. Great Expectations is ... Read More


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - Enjoy the Movie, Endure the Ending
First, a word of warning to the modern viewer: If you are the type of viewer who cannot stand the overacting, ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - The Gold Standard!
There are some films, such as "Casablanca," that should never be remade. David Lean's "Great Expectations" is ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Classic Movies
I watched this classic story long ago and had forgotten about it until reading the story again. I had a hard ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Lean meets Dickens' 'Great Expectations.'
Who doesn't like a David Lean film or a great Victorian story like Great Expectations? Except for the ending, ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.