I'll make this short. Great Expectations is one of the finest films ever made. It is a model of film-making of the classic sort, faithful to the novel it's derived from and a vivid, humane movie. The acting is of a sort rarely seen anymore: not by the latest, glamorous "teen idol" but by seasoned, experienced, professional actors. (This was the late Sir Alec Guinness' first film.) It shows. There isn't a false moment in this movie.

The plot is the Dickens classic of growing up, love and fortune. It is a warning against the dangers of making people serve ends other than their own, good or bad and a hymn to fidelity. The novel Great Expectations is probably the most readable of Dickens' great novels, and the result of filming it is a fully-realized masterpiece. It is comparable to the better-known A Christmas Carol starring Alistair Sims or David Copperfield featuring W.C. Fields.

By all means rent this movie. It is a timeless, thoughtful, brilliant movie that will teach you what films are really all about.



Recommended: Yes