Another Great Expectations. Why?

Started watching it last night. Looking on it as a based on version and, must say, I rather liked it!

Lovetopaint037 That was such a good version of David Copperfield. Kept to the spirit of the book with not too many changes. Trevor Eve was so hateable as Mr Murdstone and Nicholas Lyndhurst was wonderfully slimy as Uriah. What a ball Ian McKellan must have had playing the loathsome Mr Creakle. It almost made me see why David married the soppy Dora instead of going straight for Agnes.

Here's the cover for 1989. Weirdly, it was originally Disney, but was only ever released on video. The Germans seem to be the only ones who have released it on DVD which is why the titles are in German.

If you want the definitive version of Great Expectations, it's now on You Tube!
Great Expectations 1989
For some reason the titles are in German but the soundtrack in English.

I previously mentioned this 6 part mini-series from 1989 starring Anthony Hopkins and Jean Simmons. This was widely acclaimed as being the best version ever made, and the closest to the book. How can you go wrong with Anthony Hopkins as Magwich and the wonderful Jean Simmons as Miss Havisham (see picture). She plays her as bitter but vulnerable, and with kindness at the core. This was a lovely touch as she was Estella in the 1946 version. It's 5 hours of pure relaxation, no dark fantasies and CGI, just real people with real emotions.

Well I enjoyed it.
Even Dickens wrote an alternative ending

Deedaa

Well I stuck it out to the bitter end, unlike the 2 million viewers who apparently gave up after the first two episodes. Poorly written, badly plotted with such stilted dialogue. Did anyone actually read the scripts before they decided to go ahead with it? He didn't even stay true to his ideas. Poverty in all it's grim reality gave way to a ridiculous cops and robbers style shoot out in Satis House and a Walt Disney technicolour country wedding. It would have been closer to reality to have stuck with Magwitch being sentenced to death for returning from Australia. And the most annoying thing is still the way everyone kept referring to Pip Gargery, When my daughter got married my son didn't feel any need to take on her married name, why would Pip have done? However if Ashley Thomas should happen to sweep up to my front door in that long black coat .......................................

Thank you so much for giving us a rundown of the ending and the reassurance that we were right to give up on it at the end of episode 2. Last week there was a repeat of an old version of David Copperfield on BBC 4 late on Sunday evening. It starred Daniel Radcliffe who was lovely as David, Maggie Smith as Betsy Trotwood, Bob Hoskins, Trevor Eve, Zoe Wanamaker, Pauline Quirk etc. It was sheer joy and a perfect antidote to the latest horrific version of GE.

And Philip Pirrip has such a ring to it, Deedaa

Despite what the BBC may think and try to portray, the sun did come out occasionally in Victorian times.

Well I stuck it out to the bitter end, unlike the 2 million viewers who apparently gave up after the first two episodes. Poorly written, badly plotted with such stilted dialogue. Did anyone actually read the scripts before they decided to go ahead with it? He didn't even stay true to his ideas. Poverty in all it's grim reality gave way to a ridiculous cops and robbers style shoot out in Satis House and a Walt Disney technicolour country wedding. It would have been closer to reality to have stuck with Magwitch being sentenced to death for returning from Australia. And the most annoying thing is still the way everyone kept referring to Pip Gargery, When my daughter got married my son didn't feel any need to take on her married name, why would Pip have done? However if Ashley Thomas should happen to sweep up to my front door in that long black coat .......................................

Oreo

Why do historical dramas now always have people in dark clothing looking cold and floundering around in the mud?
I think mud must be brought in by the ship load, remember the Jamaica Inn series?

I think what you are referring to are the filming techniques which involve the use of dark filters on the cameras and way too much CGI which makes everything look fake and even darker. This has been standard procedure in many period dramas for some years now, especially Dickens. They are trying to make it look verging on monochrome like the old black 'n white movies to give a darker, more depressing feel. Consequently, the picture does not look realistic because the colours have all been drained out.

Sorry, author.

Time for 😴 I think

All's Well That Ends Well

Or not 😀

Oh, sorry, wrong playwright

If I had never read the book, I might have enjoyed a slightly ludicrous tv serial. But I have, so it drove me mad. Nothing wrong with the acting, but no nineteenth century character would have said "momentarily" in the manner Estella used it, and to fabricate an ending matching neither of Dickens' alternatives was just perverse.

Pittcity

Of course they totally changed the ending!

A rewrite but I was only half watching, so half could be right.

Of course they totally changed the ending!

Deedaa

When we lived on a Cornish smallholding in the 80s we were pretty knee deep in mud most of the time, and in the dark every time there was a power cut. Some places took quite a time to move into the 20th century

The 1970s were rather cold and dark too!

When we lived on a Cornish smallholding in the 80s we were pretty knee deep in mud most of the time, and in the dark every time there was a power cut. Some places took quite a time to move into the 20th century

Oreo there was a lot of mud about at the time especially in the more rural areas.
Poorer people would have been cold (just like now) and many would live in dwellings with tiny windows and no doubt rationed candles.
However…. We get that and can use our imagination or the producers could use some of their trickery
I like to see what’s going on and hear it too.

Why do historical dramas now always have people in dark clothing looking cold and floundering around in the mud?
I think mud must be brought in by the ship load, remember the Jamaica Inn series?

The actor who plays Jaggers is very attractive! Jaggers was a different character in the book. Still unpleasant in a cold blooded way.

I admit this recent GE is hard work. I am asking myself "do I like Jaggers?" I am wondering if you have to beak eggs to make an omelette. Yes, you do, but when the 'eggs' are human lives what then?

Easy to love Pip ,and Estella who are both innocents. I find myself wanting to like Jaggers too.

Oh, I’d definitely recommend Peaky Blinders. It was original and quirky, with great characters and acting.

I gave up on Great Expectations after two episodes, and that was one too many.

I was put off PB because of the title, of all things. Mr D loved it though, and I watched it with him over a rainy weekend, and quite enjoyed it. It's not up there with my favourite box sets, but I wouldn't write it off.

Deeda
We should have got you to write the script!

It is utterly boring 😴

We never watched Peaky Blinders either, it was on the list of catch ups, but perhaps not now, especially if the accents slip sometimes.

I never actually watched any of Peaky Blinders, was it as terminally boring as this effort? If so you have to wonder how these writers get any work - Sarah Phelps is another one. When you think how people queued up to get the latest chapter of any Dickens novel they were looking for excitement and entertainment. It may come as a surprise to the author but it takes more that nudity and people saying fuck to hold an audience's interest We've still got the deaths of Miss Havisham, Magwitch and Pip's sister to come and the revelation of Estella's parentage - or will that all be forgotten and replaced with something completely different? Perhaps Miss Havisham could take Magwitch in, Estella could have a lesbian relationship with Pip's sister and Pip could set up as an opium dealer with Herbert Pocket. Come to think of it what's happened to Herbert? We only saw him when Pip arrived in London.