Film Influence

Upon watching the two film versions of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, I would have to say that my visual understanding of the book has gotten better (particularly thanks to the CBC version). I do not think that the English project version was adequate for helping me understand the text any further. It was simply a reading of lines in old English accents. There were not many visuals that influenced me, since the actors were inappropriate for their roles and the props were not very good. It was well put together for an English project, no doubt, but it does not further my insight into the text. However, the CBC version seems to understand the book much further and has actors who fit their roles, settings which set the mood more effectively and camera angles which catch the audience's attention. The costumes are well done, which allow me to better visualize the characters. Their acting is quite good, which allows me to better understand the tone of the text. Overall, the movie version helped me grasp a more physical sense of Great Expectations.

- John