Great Expectations (DVD)

Great Expectations (1946) starring John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Bernard Miles, Francis L. Sullivan, Alec Guinness, Jean Simmons. Directed by David Lean. The novel by Charles Dickens becomes a movie, and a grand one at that. I confess that I have not read the book, but I get the sense that this is a pretty faithful adaptation -- and that a lot has been left out, of necessity. The film seems a bit dated by now -- it's in black and white, and the actors are for the most part unfamiliar. But it's still a good entertainment, and worth spending an evening with. Simmons, who recently died, appears as the young Estella. The subtitles are hard to find, but they are quite adequate. Grade: B