David Lean – Great Expectations (1946)

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Based on the book by Charles Dickens Great Expectations (1946) tells the story of a young boy by the name of Pip (Antony Wager/John Mills) who lives in the British countryside with Joe Gargery (Bernard Miles), a poor blacksmith, and his bossy wife Mrs. Joe Gargery (Freda Jackson). They reside in a rundown house not too far from the local cemetery.

One night Pip decides to visit the grave of his mother. He wishes to place some flowers on it. In the cemetery he encounters two convicts – the first one Abel Magwitch (Finlay Currie) asks him for some food, the second one (George Hayes) runs away. Pip goes back to his home and later on returns with a pork pie and a bottle of brandy. On the following night the convict is captured by the authorities.

In the meantime Pip is asked to visit the home of Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt), an old and extravagant lady, who lives in a large gothic house on the opposite side of the village. The house has known better days but nowadays it is nearly ruined by the moist and ghusty winds coming from the nearby ocean. The only other person living with Miss Havisham is a young and beautiful girl by the name of Estella (Valerie Hobson).

Pip arrives at the house and quickly falls for the lovely Estella. Unfortunately, she is extremely cold to him. Unshaken Pip keeps coming back, as requested by Miss Havisham, hoping that one day Estella will warm to him. Eventually, she allows Pip to give her a friendly kiss.

Soon after, however, Pip is told by Miss Havisham that Estella will be sent to Paris where she is expected to become a lady. Pip is heartbroken.

A few years later Pip is visited by a lawyer from London. He is informed that someone has decided to adopt him. Pip is also told that he is expected to relocate to London where he must learn proper manners and become a gentleman. Shocked Pip heads to Miss Havisham’s house to bid her goodbye. Then he moves to London.

With the help of his best friend Herbert Pocket (Alec Guinness) Pip becomes a gentleman. During a short trip to the countryside he stops by Miss Havisham’s house to express his gratitude for her financial support and ask about Estella. He is convinced that Miss Havisham is his anonymous adopter. But Pip is told a different story. He returns to London where a letter from New South Wales awaits him.

A superb adaptation of Charles Dickens book Great Expectations is regarded by many as David Lean’s true masterpiece. Some may conclude that this is a rather unusual claim given that the British director is also responsible for the much better received and highly-decorated Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. I however tend to agree – Great Expectations captures the spirit of Dickens unlike any other film adaptation that I have ever seen. It is truly the creation of a man with an unstoppable imagination.

The film’s greatest strength undoubtedly stems from its ability to mix drama with social critique in a manner largely unseen prior to 1947. Lean spends a great deal of time emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses of his characters as well as the impact the environment they belong to has on them. For example the character transformation Pip undergoes from his early years in the village to his maturation as a gentleman in London is truly fascinating. And so is Lean’s depiction of the social barriers dividing the British society.

Strictly as an entertainment piece Great Expectations is as good as cinema could be. Its brilliant atmospheric composition allows for some incredibly moving visuals. Pip’s first encounter with the convict at the cemetery is both frightening and mysterious at the same time. It creates that special literary feeling that only reading a book could produce.

Great Expectations.1946.576p.BDRip-AVC.ZONE.mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	1 h 58 min
Size: 	2.66 GiB
Video
Codec: 	x264
Resolution: 	790x576 
Aspect ratio:  	1.372
Frame rate: 	24.000 fps
Bit rate: 	2 500 kb/s
BPP: 	0.229
Audio
#1:  	English 2.0ch AC-3 @ 640 kb/s (Stereo)

https://nitro.download/view/2AEEC7E6D26AEE9/Great_Expectations.1946.576p.BDRip-AVC.ZONE.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:English, Russian