TV watch: Great Expectations

[callmemadam]

Congratulations if you managed to sit through the whole of the first episode of BBC 1’s total rewriting of Great Expectations without falling asleep or switching off. Apparently filmed entirely in the dark and featuring what felt like hours of close-ups of Pip’s face it was, surprisingly, boring. I waited until Miss Havisham appeared and switched

Comments

[lblanchard]

File that one with the newest iteration of Persuasion and all the Mansfield Parks after Sylvestra Le Touzel's as adaptations to be avoided. Thanks for the advisory.

[callmemadam]

It was really awful; you won't miss anything if you don't watch it.

I don't know why they can't get Jane Austen right, especially Emma, my favourite. I've never seen a version of it to please me. At least with Great Expectations, you can always go back to David Lean's wonderful 1940s film.

[land_girl]

Ha! I had a feeling this is what it might be like.

[callmemadam]

Your feeling was right!

[debodacious]

Yes really disappointing - humourless and boring - unlike the novel which is my favourite Dickens.

[callmemadam]

Glad we agree! My favourite Dickens, too and would be even better had Dickens stuck to his original ending.
I was discussing this on the phone with a friend the other day and her opinion was that Estella was too damaged for the two ever to be happy together.

[debodacious]

I agree - original ending much better as I can’t see Estella recovering from her upbringing.