Though I love Great Expectations a lot as a whole, I still think the first 40 minutes is rather superior to the the rest of the film. Tony Wager and Jean Simmons who played Young Pip and Young Estella respectively delivered, in my opinion, much more natural performances than the adult actors. Love Alec Guinness' Herbert Pocket though :D And Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham is simply wonderful!
shareI agree wholeheartedly. The performances by the adult protagonaists were generally just serviceable, bringing down the quality of the film as a whole.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
I fully agree: Jean Simmons, Martita Hunt and the little boy gave amazing, unforgettable performances, and the first part of the movie is absolutely awesome, with that eerie, surreal atmosphere.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
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I often wondered why, with some wardrobe and hair adjustments, Jean Simmons could not have done the adult Estella as well! She certainly had the acting chops!
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
T ekid actors were much better suited then the adult actors.
Its that man again!!
The cinematography and atmosphere was just so awesome in the "early" stages of the film the later years are a bit of a letdown. It moved too fast into his adulthood to my liking. I did feel John Mills took awhile to get used to as Pip, his personality and looks just did not seem in synch with Tony Wager.
On the other hand, I found Jean Simmons miscast as the young Estella, I haven't read the book so I don't know if Estella is supposed to be a bit older than Pip but she seem almost as grotesque as Miss Havisham, being clearly on the brink of female adulthood yet behaving like a spoiled 13-year-old (Pip's age at the beginning at probably what was supposed to be Estella's age as well.)
Sorry Harlow IMO no one can play young Estelle like Simmons. This BOY was certainly in love with her. Wager was excellent too as young Pip. Agreed it did take time to adjust to Mills doing adult Pip but he did his best. Same with Hobson. On the whole a fine movie by a great director.
shareYes, while this is a lovely film throughout, there’s a magic about the Wager/Simmons scenes which is missing later in the movie.
shareI just watched this for the first time in such a long time that I can't even remember when I last watched it, and I thought the same thing. I did think that grown up Pip (John Mills) did a much better job than grown up Estella (Valerie Hobson) did. Also, grown up Estella didn't look anything like young Estella, whereas older Pip did resemble younger pip. The movie is still good when they grow up though. Just not as good as it could have been.
shareThe great casting of the younger actors and the adult Herbert Pocket was a sad contrast to the poor casting of the adult Pip and Estella who were meant to carry the rest of the movie. Agreed, the early performances were better.
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