Rent Great Expectations (1946)

1946 at its best - Great Expectations review by JD

In this era of film making all the actors speak received English and come from good schools. Diction is clear and each shot a great work of art. Even the portrayal of a Dickensian plot reminds me of the original St. Trinian's. The acting from this era can be a little theatrical but John Mills was brilliantly subtle and the plot ran at a good pace. This will definitely not be to every ones taste. But if you habitually drink Earl Grey tea, try this.

A masterpiece - Great Expectations review by Maureen

If you take the story-telling skills of Charles Dickens, whose books are ideal as films, and David Lean's skills as a director you have a perfect combination. This film may be old, but it is still extremely enjoyable, with the intriguing addition of seeing John MIlls and Alec Guinness as young men. In addition there's no swearing and their diction is perfect, not always the case in new films.

George Roby.

Wonderful Dickens Adaptation - Great Expectations review by GI

David Lean's fantastic version of the Dickens classic. A wonderful story and a remarkable depiction of Dickensian Victorian England. At its heart this is a romance, a story of deep passion but also a film about family, friendship and the danger of ambition and materialism. It's a wonderful story from a great English novel and though it's been filmed numerous times for cinema and TV this remains the best adaptation. With it's use of chiaroscuro lighting especially to simulate the imagination of a frightened child and with a fantastic cast of British actors this is still a real treat and perfectly captures a vision of England of the 1830s. John Mills plays the young orphan, Pip, who is apprenticed to the blacksmith and husband (Bernard Miles) of his elder sister. As a child he had, out of fear, assisted an escaped convict and later was sent to the dark and mysterious house of the eccentric Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt) to play with her ward Estella (Jean Simmons). As he comes of age he learns that a secret benefactor has decided to make him a gentlemen and in London he meets the now beautiful and adult Estella (Valerie Hobson) and falls for her although she has been groomed to deceive men. The film captures the class divisions on which English society has culturally been built, one of snobbery and privilege. Lean went onto make a second Dickens adaptation, Oliver Twist, in 1948 and showed that he had a magic eye for detail and structure. This is a superb film from when the British had a film industry in which to be proud.