Reviews

I liked this movie. This is an excellent movie about a guy - Spencer Tracey as Jim Carter - whose life spirals out-of-control, out of a job, outta luck & outta money, until he is rescued by a man he meets at the Fairground, who later introduces him to Dante's Inferno.

Most fairgrounds host a 'house of horrors' side show or ghost train ride - whatever those horrors maybe, in this movie the 'house of horrors' was a 'sideshow' look at Dante's Inferno. The graphics are good, but this movie really needs to be coloured in so that you can get a real feel for Dante's Inferno to be realised.

What I particularly liked about this film is the way it mixes the fairground imagery house of horrors as one thing, with Henry B. Walthall as Pop McWade's vision of Dante's Inferno as another thing in the same movie.

My criticism of this movie is that Pop McWade's vision of the Dante's Inferno shoulda been narrated, so that in effect Pop McWade is talking us through each of the Circles of Hell. So that we can follow what vices were being tortured & how they were being tortured. But it was left as a 10 minute long running 'Silent' Saga, with each story running into the other. Therefore if you're not familiar with Dante Alighieri's Inferno, you wouldn't have a clue what's going on in that sequence.

The uncredited child actor Scotty Beckett was very good & very natural on set not stiff like some of today's child actors I could mention - so too was the The Father Son relationship in this movie - like they were having fun together , more than they were acting a role.

In the UK at this time there's a ferry company that has sacked all its professional staff & hired cheap unskilled labour. The news is filled with the legalities of it all. I found it interesting that a similar subject comes up as part of the storyline, but not because the staff were sacked because there were various strikes that involved ferry staff. Jim Carter breaks the rules & hires the unskilled labour. But, 'when push comes to shove', the unskilled labour 'jump ship' at the first sign of trouble with no loyalties to the passengers, the ship's commanders or the ship itself.

1. The Screenplay Writer Edmund Goulding has cleverly woven Dante Alighieri's Inferno and parts of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' storylines into one unique movie.

2. Mr Judd a wealthy businessman tycoon & 'Slumlord' refuses to hand out any charitable donations or listen to reason about fire safety hazards in his tenanted properties - which, incidentally does 'Catch-A-Fire'. Mr Judd forces the one person who could save the building into - Eugene Craig, a hospital administrator, neighbour & fellow businessman into bankruptcy. Mr Judd is visited by a demon takes him through the circles of Inferno. Suddenly Mr Judd wakes up from his 'slumber' and it was all just a 'nightmare' dream.

3. This 1924 Silent Movie is a sad reminder of how things used to be. The one 'Black' face you see in this Movie is 'The Butler'. But, it's NOT a Black actor, it a 'blacked up' white actor. Whilst Black Actors struggled to find work - let alone decent roles in Movies, because 'blacked up' white actors was seen as a 'politically correct' & more popular move 'Back Then'. The real Black Actors can be seen making or playing music on the radio instrument in the Movie.

4. Another sad reflection of the times is that many actors who didn't have leading roles were 'uncredited', as is the case in this movie. The Butler, who is a white actor did not have a leading role & is therefore 'uncredited'.

5. What I liked about this movie, is that the Inferno looked like a scary palce to be.

This Is The Comical Version - A 2012 British-American TV Film Adaptation of Charles Dickens' Novel 'Great Expectations'. The Screenplay Writer David Nicholls & The Director Mike Newell may have tried to breakdown barriers & add humour to the story, but the dynamics didn't work for me.

There were elements of this version that I did enjoy because they were visual, such as: Miss Havishams wedding day, Molly who murdered a woman said to be Compeyson's wife, Jaggers brings a little girl to Miss Havisham's house - these elements can be seen or are played out on screen as 'blurry images' on a recanted memory. These visual images are only a few seconds long, but they are the visual images that give this comical version the 'potential' to be regarded as a serious adaptation.

So whilst I don't appreciate this laughable cast or this laughable film, it comes-up trumps in bringing forth visual images very much talked about in other adaptations.

I don't know whether to say it's amusing or amazing but Mrs Joe Gargery goes 'on the rampage' with her 'beating stick' named 'Tickler'. 'On The Rampage', maybe that's what they called it 'back then', but now we call it 'hormonal'; 'monthly's'/monthlies'; 'end of the month'; 'periods', etc, etc.

This Is The Notable Version. Whilst I don't like its 'butterfly symbolism' this Notable Version is 'mellow drama' at its very best. A 2011 TV Mini Series Drama consisting of 3 Episodes. In comparison to all other adaptations, the tv 'Screenplay Writer' Sarah Phelps & Director Brian Kirk 'done good' & done Charles Dickens proud.

This Notable 2011 Great Expectations hosts the best of the best characters in comparison to all other Great Expectations. It showcases the best Abel Magwitch - (Ray Winstone); the best older Herbert Pocket - (Harry Lloyd); the best Joe Gargery - (Shaun Dooley); the best young Estella - (Izzy Meikle-Small); the best older Estella - (Vanessa Kirby); the best 'Jaggers' - (David Suchet); the best young 'Pip' - (Oscar Kennedy); the best older 'Pip' - (Douglas Booth); the best Miss Havisham - (Gillian Anderson); the best Mrs Joe Gargery - (Claire Rushbrook). Like I said 'Mellow Drama' at its very best is how I shall describe the rest of the cast who may or may not be household names.

I loved this version of Great Expectations so much that I prob got a bit 'carried away' writing my Review. It is now my 2nd Favourite Great Expectations - (my number 1 Fave Great Expectations is the 1998 20th Century Fox Box Office Movie that is 'Loosely Based' on Great Expectations starring Ethan Hawke & Gwyneth Paltrow).

Initially, I did not like Vanessa Kirby's Estella but she's grown on me. I thought she was the worst of the worst Estella I've ever seen. Her voice was too 'mature' for the role, and the performance was aloof throughout, but when you think about Estella's character, she was brought up & trained to be so. I now see that Vanessa Kirby's Estella reflects a 'young lady' confused about her emotions - as we all may have been when we were young. Society says to Estella when you 'come-of-age' you must have a husband. Estella' adoptive mother Miss Havisham says find a husband who loves you but don't love him back. In the meantime Estella herself has developed a fondness & love for Pip. The collective of mixed emotions & feelings can be seen in Vanessa Kirby's 'blank facade' & vagueness.

If 'Orlick' hadn't done whatever he did to Mrs Joe Gargery to knock her out & render her speechless & motionless, I think the shock, horror & shame of Pip returning home to become an apprentice Blacksmith & not being 'raised-up' woulda had the same result.

Did you notice that Miss Havisham paid Pip off& sent him away to become an apprentice Blacksmith because she was displeased with Estella, as Estella & Pip were becoming too friendly? As a parent, no, we never in our wildest dreams ever think that our children will 'turn against us like Estella turned against Miss Havisham.

As for the most handsome & gorgeous 'older' Pip - ain't he just like today's young people who think they 'know it all', and refusing to adhere to the wise council of his 'betters'?

I'm Done! I've Finished!

This Is The Liberal Version. Critics may not like this and snobs may stick their nose further up in the air when they've watched this movie because it is a modern view of a 'classic' tale, so in addition to name changes, the era and the setting have also changed in this 'Star-Studded 1998 20th Century Fox, Box Office Movie'. Its story is told as a 'Narrative' remembered. On the 'A' Side it is 'Tinsel Town's' very own 'Great Expectations'. On the 'B' Side it's a Great Expectations 'Remix', created by Screenplay Writer Mitch Glazer & Directed by Alfonso Cuarón.

In other words its success is 'Accredited' to 'The Americans' & not 'The Brits' - Accreditations goes to 'Hollywood' and not 'The Beeb' (short for BBC). The BFI industry gets nothing nor do whatever the British equivalents of Hollywood & Tinsel Town is. However, I do believe this Liberal Version of Great Expectations does more to honour & pays a better tribute to the British Author Charles Dickens, as it compliments his personal life & exalts his professional life.

Described as 'Loosely Based' on the Charles Dickens Novel, Great Expectations, simply because Philip 'Pip' Pirrip is renamed as Finn/Finnegan Bell; Miss Havisham is renamed as Miss Dinsmoor; Instead of going to London to become a 'Gentleman', New York is 'the place to be' for any 'aspiring' artist. This Liberal Version is my ultimate, number 1 favourite of all the Great Expectations. It is well documented & well written with the Expected Great Performances from its Star Studded Cast.

Also, the likeness & characteristics of the adult counterparts are very much in-keeping with the likeness & characteristics of the child actors.

Considering that Charles Dickens 'himself' had a lot of children - as we can see from the movie 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' or as can be read from the Wikipedia profile on Charles Dickens, when you take into account the above, I believe, that this 'so-called' 'Loosely Based' Great Expectations does more to honour a Great author & pays a better tribute to Charles Dickens 'the man', as Estella & Pip - (renamed Finn/Finnegan Bell) - Estella & Finn 'stop dancing' around each other, they stop dancing with each other, to 'get-it-on' & have 'SEXpectations'.

Think about it, this Narrative cuts-to-the-chase of being made a public spectacle in a form of 'pimping' young adults through a ridiculous 'coming-of-age' ballroom dance social event consisting of eligible young bachelors & bachelorettes on display for a suitable spouse, so prevalent in all the other GE screen adaptations & so prevalent amongst rich societies 'in those days'. This Narrative goes beyond the flirtatious behaviour, romantic gestures & 'sick fancies' also prevalent in other GE screen adaptations. Isn't it all about sex - having children & heirs that might one day inherit some part of ourselves - 'our fortunes, our thrones'? Aren't we happy to be the giver or the receiver of some human consciousness of kindness? What happens when all of that is missing from our lives - people voluntary volunteer or professionally work in fields that 'give back to the community'.

Yes! This 'Loosely Based' GE Narrative compliments Charles Dickens' personal life & exalts his professional life. Adaptations merely seek to reconstruct the story & reference the original source.

When you think about an adaptation & its reconstruction, for 'the screen', aren't all on screen adaptations of a book, 'Loosely Based'? Readers of any genre will always tell you that the film or movie is never as good as the book because some bits have been appropriately added or aptly left out? I know that to be true from the many various versions I've watched & Reviewed.