Great Expectations (DVD)

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Forget the 1998 update with Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Palthow; forget, too, the half dozen other cinematic adaptations of the Dickens classic. David Lean´s 1946 "Great Expectations" is not only the best film version of the novel, it is one of the best film versions of any piece of literature ever brought to the screen. We can thank the Criterion Collection for a new digital transfer made from the original 35 mm master, and like many older movies now available on DVD, it has never looked better.

The keys to producing any good film rendition of a novel are compressing the story enough to fit it into a two-hour time frame, while at the same time maintaining the story´s integrity--its character, ideas, and feeling. It is not an easy task, and Hollywood often fails. For every "To Kill a Mockingbird" there is a Demi Moore "Scarlet Letter." Director and screenwriter David Lean became an old hand at adapting books to the screen. Directly following "Great Expectations" he did "Oliver Twist," and years later he did "Doctor Zhivago," among others. But it was "Great Expectations" that in some ways was his greatest triumph. It perfectly captures the spirit of Dickens, with its shadowy black-and-white photography lending a hand with the mood.

It´s the story of Pip, of course, the young man who, after his mother dies, is brought up by his older sister and her husband, the blacksmith Joe Gargery. They live a humble existence on the moors of southern England. One day Pip is called to the decaying mansion of an eccentric old lady, Miss Havisham, ostensibly to play with her adopted daughter, Estella, on a weekly basis. But little does he know that Estella is being brought up to break men´s hearts.

Then one night while in a cemetery visiting his mother´s grave, Pip helps an escaped convict, Magwitch, with food and tools. And so goes the beginning of Dickens´ famous plot. Before long, Pip´s residence changes to London, thanks to a mysterious benefactor who sets him up with a large allowance and the assurance of becoming a gentleman. It is a story of unrequited love, changing social status, intrigue, and divided loyalties.

Pip is played first by the young actor Anthony Wager, and when he grows up by John Mills. Of minor concern is that Mills was too old for the part (he was in his late thirties at the time, and his character was supposed to be about twenty); nonetheless, Mills does a credible job in his transformation from unassuming innocent to worldly and snobbish young man. The youthful Estella is played by the ravishing Jean Simmons, and as an adult by Valerie Hobson. Ms. Hobson was also older at the time than her part demanded, but it is not her age so much as that she is less successful than Ms. Simmons at convincing us of her cold heart and emotionless personality. The kindly Joe Gargery is wonderfully played by Bernard Miles ("Dear old Pip, old chap"). Pip´s friend and roommate, Herbert Pocket, is played by Alec Guinness, who got his first big break with this film. And Miss Havisham is portrayed by Martita Hunt, who conveys an appropriate degree of sadness, indifference, and distance.