Great Expectations (1946)

A Masterpiece!

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Young Pip has a hard life: His parents have died, he lives with his shrewish sister, and he's destined to be a lowly blacksmith. Fate smiles on him, however, when a mysterious old lady pays him to play at her estate. It's there he meets the love of his life, the beautiful, but heartless, Estella.This is a great Dickens story, full of emotional ups and downs, following Pip from childhood to adulthood. Tony Wager is endearing as the sweet younger Pip and John Mills is equally sympathetic as adult Pip. Teenaged Jean Simmons is remarkably lovely as the bred-to-be-cruel Estella.The 1946 David Lean movie has many twists and turns and a warm, satisfying ending. Outstanding in every way and a true classic.

This is a question. Miss Havisham blocked out the outside world and did not want to know the time or day. How then did she know when her birthday was coming? Yes, her relatives show up then, but she said at one point (I believe) that it would be tomorrow.With all the dust and mold it seems very unhealthy for the young girl or anyone else.It seems that the convict took a big chance going to England - he has an appearance that is hard to mask. With the money he had, how hard could it have been to find a sneaky way out of the country. Did the 2 young men have to go through the routine of rowing each day when they felt they were being watched? England is an island, after all - money could buy a carriage and a boat. But unlikely coincidences are part of the author's style.

I read Dicken's novel long before seeing this film and found it to be the masterwork of a great master.  I had also seen numerous adaptations of Dicken's works, most of them quite satisfactory, even great, as might well be expected when working from such quality material.  I thus settled down to a viewing of David Lean's "Great Expectations" with rather high expectations-pun somewhat intended.  My expectations were not high enough, much to my joy, as I found myself experiencing a masterwork in it's own right.  To Dickens fans and Lean fans alike, those who have not seen this movie, I can only say that you owe it to yourself to see this film.  I echo the sentiments of many of the reviewers here;  this film is nearly perfect in every aspect, and reaches an almost transcendent level, taking it's place among other exemplars of high art forms.

"Great!" is the best way to describe this 1946 production of "Great Expectations." After "A Christmas Carol," this is the one Charles Dickens story that most often has been adapted and made into a movie. And, while all of the renditions have some of the magic and mystique of the Dickens story-telling, no other version can top this original sound release. Quite simply, this film is near perfect. The sets, scenery and cinematography are captivating and true to the book. The script, costumes, customs and dialog are true to the time – middle 19th century England. The directing is outstanding and the musical score is so good that at no point do we notice it so much that it's a distraction. Now, for the acting. This 1946 version of "Great Expectations" is a model for actors. The different roles call for a range of expressions, moods and emotions. And the cast chosen for this film couldn't be better. Each person pulls off his or her role to perfection. John Mills excels in his naïveté and school-boyish infatuation that matures to love as Pip grows older. Valerie Hobson is outstanding in her slowly changing personality. Martita Hunt plays wonderfully the dejected lover grown bitter and seeking revenge. A very young-looking (and hardly recognizable) Alec Guinness adds a spark of energy to his role as Herbert Pocket. Francis Sullivan, Finlay Currie, and Bernard Miles are notable and excellent in their considerable supporting roles. Tony Wager and Jean Simmons are ideal for their roles as the young Pip and Estella. And the rest of the cast fit their roles to a tee."Great Expectations" is a true classic by one of the greatest story- tellers of all time. And this 1946 rendition of that story on film is the best of all. It belongs in every library of great books on film. It's the one to pull out and play on a night one wants to make a great escape into the great classics.