Director David Lean helmed two influential film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ novels, the first being “Great Expectations” (1946) and the second “Oliver Twist” (1948). In his inaugural foray into Dickensian territory, Lean presents us with a mixture of successes and failures, but the uneven nature of the film does not render it less interesting. In fact, there are many things to love in this particular version of “Great Expectations,” especially the performances of Alec Guinness, Martita Hunt, and Jean Simmons as some of its most memorable and complex characters.
The story follows Pip (played first by Tony Wager and then by John Mills), an orphan boy whose encounters with two strange individuals shape his fate. He first meets Abel Magwitch (Finlay Currie), an escaped convict who demands Pip’s assistance in a chance graveyard meeting. Soon after, Pip is summoned to the moldering estate of mad Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt), where he serves as a sort of playmate cum victim for Miss Havisham’s adopted child, Estella (played by Jean Simmons and Valerie Hobson). As Pip grows up, he finds his fortunes altered by a mysterious benefactor, but his longing for Estella and the secrets that surround them threaten his chance for true happiness.
As the ostensible leads, both John Mills and Valerie Hobson leave something to be desired. Mills is obviously much too old to play Pip, while Hobson is far too nice to be credible as the icy Estella. Their miscasting would attract less attention if the supporting actors were not so thoroughly brilliant. Hobson can’t compete with Jean Simmons as a perfect young Estella, achingly beautiful and utterly cruel. Mills gets upstaged by Alec Guinness as his fey companion, Herbert Pocket; the role would be Guinness’ first big break as a screen actor, and already he’s the most interesting thing in every frame where he appears. Martita Hunt plays a Gothic Miss Havisham with effective restraint, and Finlay Currie makes an imposing but still sympathetic Magwitch.
The most successful scenes are those that feature the supporting players and Lean’s more creative direction, like young Pip’s guilty errand to succor Magwitch, in which the cows and even the creaking gates cry out against him. Ivor Barnard and O.B. Clarence do great justice to Dickens’ brilliant domestic humor in the characters of Mr. Wemmick and his beloved Aged Parent, perfectly capturing the warmth and comedy of their familial bond. The strangest moments end up being the ones that the film handles best, while the grown-up love affair between Pip and Estella falls flat in comparison.
“Great Expectations” earned five Oscar nominations and won two, including awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. For more from David Lean, see “Brief Encounter” (1945), “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957), and “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962). Don’t miss “Hobson’s Choice” (1954) for a different take on Lean and John Mills. Gorgeous Jean Simmons can be seen in “Black Narcissus” (1947) and the terrific noir thriller, “Angel Face” (1952). You’ll find Valerie Hobson in “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) and “Kind Hearts and Coronets” (1949), the latter of which is also a great place to see Alec Guinness playing eight different roles. As for Guinness himself, try more of his earlier pictures, especially Ealing comedies like “The Lavender Hill Mob” (1951), “The Man in the White Suit” (1951), and “The Ladykillers” (1955).
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