Great Expectations

Having not read the book "Great Expectations," I don't feel comfortable discussing its faithfulness to Dickens' novel. However, I think that I can critique its worth as a movie. There are some good performances in it; Anthony Quayle is an effective Jaggers, he has that lawyer's edge, and he does bite his index finger at people (sometimes). Joss Ackland is a likable Joe. But the emotion of the movie is too far below the soaring Jarre score to be compelling. Maurice Jarre's wonderful music is a major reason behind the success of scenes in "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia," but of course he is helped by excellent acting and direction(or maybe vice-versa). Unfortunately, neither the acting or the directing is up to that level. With its romantic crescendo, the final scene did make my eyes misty, but I was listening more to the music more than watching the character's interaction. 'Made for television' about sums up the quality of this production.

I remember being assigned to read Charles Dickens' novel, "Great Expectations," as an English major in college. I think this movie would have greatly enhanced my understanding of the story. The film has a first rate cast featuring a rising star, Michael York, as the adult Pip. Miss Havisham is played by the late great British actress, Margaret Leighton. Sarah Miles played Estella in this film. I loved Leighton's performance as Miss Havisham, the mysterious woman who lived in a mansion in a small English village with Estella, her adopted daughter. The first rate cast features plenty of great actors and actresses mostly British such as Joss Ackland, James Mason, Anthony Quayle, Heather Sears, Rachel Roberts, and even Tom Owen has a scene in there as taunting adult Pip. The quality is decent and the film was done in Elstree Studios long before East-Enders in Bedfordshire, England.

I count a dozen versions of Charles Dickens' beloved classic Great Expectations made for the big and small screen, but this version from the BBC in 1984 stands up with the best of them. The best being the one that David Lean did in 1946.

Curiously enough I was watching some legislative hearings on the foster care system and it occurred to me watching this that Dickens was making some kind of commentary on it that's still relevant today. Mostly through the lawyer Jaggers played here by Anthony Quayle. Both the characters of Pip and Estella are in what we would consider foster care placements for good and evil. Jaggers tried to save two children from what at that time was a damned existence on earth by placing them in good surroundings. Unfortunately the strict class system being what it was both have to go through some trials before gaining a measure of happiness.

Michael York and Sarah Miles pretty well fit my conception of what Pip and Estella should be. Margaret Leighton is one batty old Miss Favesham. I lived with a relative while I was growing up who could have been a Miss Favesham, taking it out on the world around her for a miserable childhood. I knew another whom I worked with who also was left a bride at the altar and also behaved quite weirdly after that for her 90 plus years.

The convict Magwitch is a bit of offbeat casting for James Mason. I'm used to that polished and precise speech whether a good guy or a villain. Here Mason shows he's got the acting chops to stretch his casting persona as the rough and crude Magwitch who provides Pip with his Great Expectations.

I'm sure we'll see more and more versions of this classic in the future. This production can certainly hold its own with the others.

I saw this years ago back in 1994. The movie has always stayed with me it holds a special part in my heart. Simon Gipps-Kents beauty just took my breath away. Everything Simon Gipps-Kent says and does turns into gold. This boy should got a award but didn't. What makes Simon Gipps-Kent so bloody great is his facial expressions.

He plays Pip, Pip is a poor boy thats had a hard life. His parents died when just a little child. His friends take him to visit Miss Havishem. Miss Havishem is very strange. When Pips firsts see her if asks people "Is she mad"? Miss Havisem lets play with the daughter Estella of course, Miss Havishem encourage Estella. I love the erotic undertones this movie has you wouldn't expect but is has. "You may kiss me if you like" Estella asks Pip indeed kisses her. It is the best kiss I have ever seen in a movie! When Miss Havisham asks Estella if Estella likes Pip Estella makes a cute response. I can't tell you because I can't give to much away. Then Pip grows up and thats the end of the movie. Simon Gipps-Kent died of a drug overdose. RIP

Given the all-star cast - a 'name' in almost every role - I was surprised that I'd never heard of this adaptation until accidentally finding it on a repeats tv channel today. As the film proceeded I quickly realised why this is so. I doubt whether any of the famous actors fondly remember their participation. Enjoyable though it always is to see York, Mason, Leighton, Miles, Quayle, Ray, Morley, Bull et all, without doubt it is a wooden script they deliver and every other televised or filmed version I've seen over the last fifty years is better than this one.