Comparing Techniques Used in the Opening Sequences of Two Film Versions of Great Expectations

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Comparing Techniques Used in the Opening Sequences of Two Film Versions of Great Expectations

There have been many different film versions of the novel 'Great

Expectations'. One of these, directed by David Lean in the 1945, is in

black and white; the other, directed by Julian Jarrorld, in 1997, was

colour. The latter, however was originally a TV drama.

The David Lean production opens with the credits, which distances the

modern day audience; even the font of the credits seems old fashioned.

The music played over the credits is happy and bouncy, which seems

incompatible with the rest of the film.

In the colour production by Julian Jarrorld, the film continues whilst

the credits are running over the top. The font of the credits is

straight and parallel to a red sunset. This highlights the darkness,

with the sharp, straight lines. A small farmhouse, Pip's home, is

silhouetted against this dark red sunset. Geese are seen flying home

in fright just like Pip trying to run home to safety.

In both of the productions the first scene shows Pip meeting, and

being threatened by, the convict. They both see the graveyard as an

important place to introduce Pip to the convict, as did Charles

Dickens. The graveyard is deserted, cold and lonely emphasizing Pip's

character.

Both films use flashbacks and time shifts in their productions. In the

black and white production they have directly linked it with the book,

by showing the opening page of Great Expectations. The narrator reads

the first lines, "My fathers name being Pirrip and my Christian name

being Philip, my infant tongue could make nothing longer or more

explicit than Pip".

Then the pages are ruffled by "the wind" which links it to the next

shot of the marshy wind-swept moor land.

The recent production, produced in 1997, shows Pip running through a

field, running home in fright. We know he is scared because the rapid

heartbeat and heavy breathing, these are known as extra diagetic

sounds. These sounds leave us wondering, "What's happening?

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