{"id":13076,"date":"2010-11-03T12:55:18","date_gmt":"2010-11-03T19:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=13076"},"modified":"2021-01-21T17:01:39","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T00:01:39","slug":"great-expectations-1946","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=13076","title":{"rendered":"Great Expectations (1946)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Pip! A young gentleman of great expectations.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-65001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster-676x1024.png 676w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster-85x128.png 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/Great-Expectations-Poster.png 731w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA young orphan (Anthony Wager) who exhibits kindness to an escaped convict (Finlay Currie) is sent to be the playmate of a girl (Jean Simmons) living with an embittered older woman (Martita Hunt). Years later, grown Pip (John Mills) becomes a gentleman through the help of an unknown benefactor, re-encounters the convict, and remains enamored with his childhood crush (now played by Valerie Hobson).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Dickens Films<\/li>\n<li>David Lean Films<\/li>\n<li>Jean Simmons Films<\/li>\n<li>John Mills Films<\/li>\n<li>Orphans<\/li>\n<li>Social Climbers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nDavid Lean&#8217;s adaptation of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_expectations\">Charles Dickens&#8217; classic novel<\/a> &#8212; listed as number five on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bfi.org.uk\/features\/bfi100\/1-10.html\">BFI&#8217;s list of all-time great British films<\/a> &#8212; is widely acknowledged as its best cinematic rendering, and remains among the top Dickens adaptations ever produced. Upon its release, Bosley Crowther of the <em>New York Times<\/em> referred to it as &#8220;a perfect motion picture&#8221;, noting it could &#8220;safely be recommended as screen story-telling at its best&#8221; &#8212; and this lofty sentiment isn&#8217;t far from the truth. Lean and his crew manage to take Dickens&#8217; dense, character-rich serial novel and turn it into a gripping, finely acted two-hour drama with a clear story arc and plenty of invigorating twists and turns. <\/p>\n<p>Lean apparently had a very specific vision for how the film should look, and his attention to detail clearly pays off. From its opening scene at the cemetery on the moors, to Miss Havershim&#8217;s decaying manse, to Pip&#8217;s new living quarters as a &#8220;gentleman&#8221; in London, each of the carefully crafted sets (the film won an Oscar for best art and set direction) emanate Dickensian authenticity. Guy Green&#8217;s Oscar-winning cinematography is truly stunning, and the supporting performances by the ensemble cast are consistently impressive, embodying Dickens&#8217; characters exactly as we likely imagine them. Among the notable stand-outs are Finley Currie as Magwitch the convict (appropriately menacing in his on-screen &#8220;debut&#8221; on the moors), Bernard Miles as Pip&#8217;s humble brother Joe Gargery, and Martita Hunt as the infamous spinster Miss Havisham. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anthony Wager as young Pip<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-wager.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-wager.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13080\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Mills as grown Pip<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-mills.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-mills.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13086\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Finlay Currie as Magwitch<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-currie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-currie.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13085\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bernard Miles as Joe Gargery<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-miles.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-miles.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13087\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-hunt.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-hunt.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13083\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Francis Sullivan as Mr. Jaggers<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-sullivan.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-sullivan.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13088\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The incredibly tense opening sequence on the moors<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-opening-moors.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-opening-moors.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13082\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Guy Green&#8217;s stunning cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13090\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine period sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-sets1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/great-expectations-sets1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13084\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a classic rendering of a classic novel. Nominated by Peary as one of the best pictures of the year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0038574\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1947\/05\/23\/archives\/great-expectations-in-which-british-producers-do-very-well-by.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-great-expectations-1946\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Great Movies Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/greatex46.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/76862\/great-expectations#articles-reviews?articleId=212765\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/great-expectations-3\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Pip! A young gentleman of great expectations.&#8221; Synopsis: A young orphan (Anthony Wager) who exhibits kindness to an escaped convict (Finlay Currie) is sent to be the playmate of a girl (Jean Simmons) living with an embittered older woman (Martita Hunt). Years later, grown Pip (John Mills) becomes a gentleman through the help of an unknown benefactor, re-encounters the convict, and remains enamored with his childhood crush (now played by Valerie Hobson). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Charles Dickens Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=13076\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13076"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65002,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13076\/revisions\/65002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}