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.
Lean successfully distils a long and complex novel, written in the first
person, into a compelling visual narrative covering no more than two
hours. In this film, perhaps more than in any other, he makes us care
about the characters, and casts the kind of cinematic spell very few
directors are capable of, bringing into play a powerful visual narrative
that hints at big themes and elemental forces. Great Expectations offers
a near perfect balance of human sentiment and visual grandeur.
David Lean's
crisp rendering of Dicken's classic is one of the great translations
of literature to film. Guy Green's award-winning, film noir cinematography
offsets the rich, exuberant tale of Pip, played by John Mills. True
to the vibrant spirit of Dickens, "Great Expectations" is
the rare film that does justice to its source.