Being a film adaptation, The Great Expectations 1998 is an abridged modernization of Charles Dickens’ novel. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the screenplay by Mitch Glazer ‘makes us believe’ how the literary word of Dickens is deployed in an appealing cinematic experience.
Great Expectations 1998 is about a poor painter boy who falls in love with a rich girl. When the boy gets a chance to pursue his dreams in New York, the girl also finds herself in Manhattan. As they walk towards their pre-destined ways, life has other plans for them.
To bring about a coming of age big-screen experience, Glazer deploys formal techniques and thematic content in the movie. Glazer sheds light on the themes of social class, history, love and ‘the American Dream.’ Poverty and wealth, happiness and hopelessness co-exist as poor Finn chases his ambitious dreams and Estella lives in a mansion. Love is conceptualized only regarding passion. The film projects the cycle of life and starts with the images of the sea- suggesting freedom- and the mansion- symbolizing magnificence- and ends with the same images. The ‘American Dream’ embraces the sub-plots contained in this film. However, the missing storylines provide a scoop out of the complex plot of the novel.
“The story has been updated by Cuarón, who moves it from Victorian England to a crumbling neo-Gothic mansion in Florida.” (Ebert). The plot shifts through time as Cuarón brings in flashbacks and a chronological timeline. The first person voice-over has been used that suggests how the protagonist-Finn- unfolds the story in the way he remembers it. Many of the major characters of the novel are renamed such as Ms. Dinsmoor instead of Miss Havisham and Finn instead of Pip. Cuarón has used shades of colors such as green to represent regeneration and blonde hair of Estella to symbolize beauty. The intruding beam of light into the dark-colored hall suggests the uncertainty of Finn and Estella’s relationship in the test of time. While cinematography of the sea smoothens the harsh conditions; the decaying mansion shows lifelessness for Finn. The images of New York suggest hope while Finn goes on to pursue his ‘American Dream.’ “The film’s music is composed by Patrick Doyle and has a dramatic, dreamy tone.” (Blogspot). Ann Bancroft portrayed a satisfactory performance as Miss Dinsmoor. Finn and Estella’s role played by Ethan Hawke, and Gwyneth Paltrow does not characterize exceptional performances as their relationship is grounded on passion rather than compatibility. Robert De Niro played a limited role as the convict Lustig.
We do not recommend Glazer’s adaptation of The Great Expectations (1998) because it has replaced the classical appeal of Charles Dickens’ novel with a commercial appeal to its audience.
Works Cited
“Great Expectations 1998”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia,n.d. Web. 21 April 2014
Ebert, Roger, ed. Roger Ebert. Reviews, 30 Jan. 1998. Web. 21 April 2014
“Great Expectations 1998 film” thevoid99. Epinions, 27 April 2012. Web. 21 April 2014