VHS : Great Expectations [1999]

Rating: - Transcending the dreadful dvd mastering
This edition is technically not great. The DVD mastering is quite awful and is very grainy indeed. However....

This is so good. Having admired David Lean's rather compressed version of Dickens' superb novel for many years and having endured the complete annihilation of the said novel in the abhorrent farrago starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke, it is an absolute joy to witness the sheer quality of realisation in this production. It vastly outclasses the other productions on every level although the Lean has great nostalgic charm and appeal. Relatively faithful to the novel, this is profoundly engaging. The acting is superb.Charlotte Rampling inhabits the character of Miss Havisham at a stellar level, evoking a sympathetic response to the personal tragedy that is her reality. Bernard Hill as Magwitch is clearly as noteworthy as the the two leading actors Ioan Gruffudd and Justine Waddell. All are first class.I recommend this very highly indeed as it conveys the spirit of Charles Dickens' novel in a finely observed and engaging manner, with evident intelligence and creativity.Only the snippiest of reviewers could find any minor fault with this. In my opinion, to date, this is, by a cinematic/dramatic mile, the definitive version of Dickens' Great Expectations. Well done BBC!!!


Your Tags: charles dickens, drama, costume drama, english literature, television, ioan gruffudd, charlotte rampling, bbc, justine waddell

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Rating: - The Production is Good......But dont Buy this DVD
Even though I have never read the book I found this Production very good.
I would recommend this to any one who is a Dickens Fan but do youself a favour and dont buy this DVD release.
As a British review on Amazon uk site indicated this DVD looks as if it was copied straight off the TV and also the commentary in the beginning and end of the movie telling us about the Great Expectations novel made the DVD worse.
Masterpiece Theatre has spoiled this Great BBC Production of Dickens Great Expectations with it's Commentary (even though they think they are being helpful- but are not) and poor DVD.
Four Stars for the Production itself but giving this Two stars because of the DVD quaility.
Wait until BBC Release a DVD of the Production and the DVD quaility will be much, much better.
As for me copy I will be selling this DVD.

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Rating: - great as i expected
this is one of the better tv adaptations of dickens work-the acting is spot on,there is no major omissions/alterations from the original story and strangely,the scenery/locations are how i imagined them to be when i read the novel,dickens originally wrote two endings to great expectations and i liked the way this production only hinted to rather than embraced one over the other-why has the bbc not released this in britain,where it was based and written by the best of british authors?

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Rating: - Great Dramatisation, Awful DVD
The official American DVD is a direct rip from American TV complete with cheesy intros and annoying pop-ups on screen informing me that if i wish i can view it in widescreen (which is not available on this 4:3 DVD). There is even a nice advert for the video at the end of each part. The picture quality isn't great either; a little grainy. It looks like a DVD that somebody recorded off the telly, and if I'd done that i would have saved £20... At least the British broadcast didn't have annoying on-screen messages and unnescesary introductions.

Take my advice and wait for the BBC to release a DVD of it - It's on the Dickens boxset, so it can't be far off...

The content, however, is superb. This is one of the best dramatisations of a dickens novel I've seen for a while, and despite the poor disc it was nice to see it again after its TV showing.

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Rating: - The best Great Expectation movie i've seen
The film is wonderful!The film represent exactly the world of Charles Dickens including the characters and the places. Although it is the best movie, i think it has some "mistakes".
I have already read the novel twice and i saw that in two important scenes in the movie, when Estella and Pip seperate, and at the end of the film when Pip meets Estella again, i think that the film should represent more strictly the strory of Dickens. Everyone who has read the book will understand! However it is a great film and it is worth to buy and see it!