Widely lauded as the best cinematic translation ever achieved of Dickens’ work and one of the greatest British films of all time, ‘Great Expectations’ follows the life of orphan Pip Pirrip from his humble beginnings as a blacksmith’s apprentice in the 1830s to his days as the wealthy beneficiary of an escaped convict he once helped. Despite the inevitable simplifications of the novel Lean fully realises its cinematic potential, capturing the spirit of Dickens and translating his prose into flawless cinema. Cinematographer Guy Green and production designer John Bryan won Academy Awards for their impressive work. Stars John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Finlay Currie, Alec Guinness, Bernard Miles, Francis Sullivan and Jean Simmonds.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
324709
Language
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Feature films → Feature films - Great Britain
Literature → English literature - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)