Film of the Day: 28
Great Expectations (1946)
There have been many classic authors that have inspired millions over the years, such as Edgar Allan Poe or Oscar Wilde. Yet asides from Shakespeare, I cannot think of an author whose characters were so rich in detail that they have been forever immortalized in our minds, and who has given us a vivid insight on the Victorian times through the eyes of a child... as Charles Dickens has.
The Great Charles John Huffam Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England on February 7th, 1812 and died today in 1870 in Kent, England. He moved to London at the age of 3 with his family where he later once worked in the blacking-warehouse as a child. A dirty house with rotten floors, rats in the seller and endless squeaking at every door and floorboard. He worked there with a few other children and on the first Monday, one of them showed Charles a little trick at their trade, he was covered in dirty rags and had a hat made of paper. His name was Bob Fagin (a name which he immortalized in Oliver Twist many years later).
In a time span of just five years, he had written five novels (including Oliver Twist) and whilst writing these novels in the late 1830s, he also had a little companion by the name of Grip, a pet raven (which he had stuffed when it died in 1841 and is presently at the Free Library of Philadelphia)
By the 1840s, Charles Dickens was already quite famous, not to mention after A Christmas Carol (his most famous novel) in 1843 which was reportedly a potboiler, as he had written the novel in just a few weeks to help pay for the well-being of his fifth (of 10) child with his wife Catherine Thomson Hogarth. It was then in his later years that he wrote A Tale of Two Cities in 1859 and my personal favourite Great Expectations in 1861.
The film Great Expectations was gloriously adapted to the silver screen by British master director David Lean, the director of endless great films: Hobson's Choice, Brief Encounter, Summertime, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. I have never seen a classic novel of Victorian time brought to life so vividly and so faithfully. It is as though we are reading the novel and the film is exactly what we are imagining it to be.
From the astounding masion of the unforgettable Miss Havisham (which I could not help but be reminded by the mansion of Citizen Kane) to the glorious adventures of Pip and all the interesting characters he meets along the way including the young gentleman Herbert Pocket (played by the wonderful Alec Guiness in his first acting role). My only complaint to the film is perhaps the choice of actor John Mills (Pip as an adult). In the novel, Pip is no older than 21, yet actor John Mills in the film is 38 years old.
David lean captures every moment of Dicken's novel perfectly here with such a lavish atmosphere and outstanding performances in this timeless classic that even though the film is 65 years old, it is a crisp and bold as when it was first released. Lean has also directed Oliver Twist two years later which is also the best version of the story on film, yet however detailed Fagin may be, Great Expectations always seems to stand out as a much richer and promising story.
If you are a fan of Charles Dickens (as I am sure you are), then be sure to treat yourself to this masterpiece of an adaptation that Charles Dickens himself would be proud of.
The Great Charles John Huffam Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England on February 7th, 1812 and died today in 1870 in Kent, England. He moved to London at the age of 3 with his family where he later once worked in the blacking-warehouse as a child. A dirty house with rotten floors, rats in the seller and endless squeaking at every door and floorboard. He worked there with a few other children and on the first Monday, one of them showed Charles a little trick at their trade, he was covered in dirty rags and had a hat made of paper. His name was Bob Fagin (a name which he immortalized in Oliver Twist many years later).
In a time span of just five years, he had written five novels (including Oliver Twist) and whilst writing these novels in the late 1830s, he also had a little companion by the name of Grip, a pet raven (which he had stuffed when it died in 1841 and is presently at the Free Library of Philadelphia)
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| Abel Magwitch (the convict) with young Pip |
The film Great Expectations was gloriously adapted to the silver screen by British master director David Lean, the director of endless great films: Hobson's Choice, Brief Encounter, Summertime, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. I have never seen a classic novel of Victorian time brought to life so vividly and so faithfully. It is as though we are reading the novel and the film is exactly what we are imagining it to be.
From the astounding masion of the unforgettable Miss Havisham (which I could not help but be reminded by the mansion of Citizen Kane) to the glorious adventures of Pip and all the interesting characters he meets along the way including the young gentleman Herbert Pocket (played by the wonderful Alec Guiness in his first acting role). My only complaint to the film is perhaps the choice of actor John Mills (Pip as an adult). In the novel, Pip is no older than 21, yet actor John Mills in the film is 38 years old.
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| Charles Dickens 1852 |
If you are a fan of Charles Dickens (as I am sure you are), then be sure to treat yourself to this masterpiece of an adaptation that Charles Dickens himself would be proud of.
A great English classic that stood the test of time....like all Charles Dickens's stories
ReplyDeleteBut the one that comes to mind straight away when this author's name is mentioned is surely 'Oliver Twist'
These stories were good enough to be a major part of our earlier education, in the form of English Literature.....which I used to and still love .
8 out of 10 for this one son!
G.E. is one of my all-time favorite classic piece of literature that just stays with you forever. I particularly love the character Estella, more of an anti-heroine, intriguing and extremely interesting.
ReplyDeleteThough Estella marries Drummle in the novel, she does not marry him in this great adaptation. She does never, however, marry Pip.
She represents Pip's longings in life, not only the romantic ones but also the more opportunistic ones, like his ascent to a better social position.
It is curios that there are as many endings to this relationship as there are versions of this novel, Dickens himself wrote two different ones...
Great choice!