Great Expectations (1946)

An encounter with a escaped convict in an eerie churchyard turns out to be a crossroads in the life of the orphan boy Pip. Raised in humble circumstances and hopelessly in love with the beautiful Estella (Valerie Hobson), Pip (John Mills) learns at the age of 19 that he has a secret benefactor who wants to pay for his education as a gentleman in London. Pip suspects the eccentric Miss Havisham and slowly but surely turns into a snob. And indeed, his once seemingly unattainable dreams begin, little by little, to come true... David Lean’s film is regarded as one of the finest Dickens adaptations ever made. It condenses the sprawling novel into a clear, gripping narrative and translates Dickens’ atmosphere into haunting images. The churchyard scene at the beginning and Miss Havisham’s decaying house with its mouldering wedding feast are among the most famous moments in British cinema. The cinematography and art direction won Oscars. The more conciliatory ending, however, departs from the novel. In film history, the work marks a high point of British post-war quality cinema and the rise of David Lean. He followed it with another Dickens adaptation, “Oliver Twist” (1948), and later achieved worldwide fame with epics such as “Lawrence of Arabia”. With its expressive black-and-white photography, “Great Expectations” set standards for later literary adaptations. “Atmospheric adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations”, precisely cast down to the smallest role. Even if the enchanting poetry of the first part is not quite sustained, this literarily ambitious film ranks among the best novel adaptations ever made. – Worth seeing” (Lexikon des Internationalen Films)