KARISHMA

I think the first version of Great Expectations does a good job of being true to the text. Most of the dialogue is very memorable and straight from the book. I think the second version takes more artistic freedom with the way in which it portrays the events e.g. Pip's first meeting with the convict is shown after he returns home to Mr and Mrs. Joe. I think the 2nd one is more about adapting Great Expectations for film, whereas the first one is the book as a film. I thought the Pips were similar in both versions- the sense of fear, innocence and naivity was present throughout. For e.g. Pip's face when he takes the bread in the first version is akin to Pip's face in the 2nd version as he dangles from the convict's arms. Joe in the first version seems less passive and more loud about his opinion, for e.g. at dinner he tells Pip to not stick the bread in his pants, and that he is his "best friend". But in the 2nd version, Joe cannot get a word in edgewise and even I was rather intimidated by Mrs. Joe's aggressive antics.

I think the 2nd version really changed my interpretation of Mrs. Joe. She seemed very scary and menacing but my sense of her was that she wasn't so scary but more intimidating. She seemed vindictive with the way she stared at Pip with her eyes full of hate, but I always thought of her as a sister and a wife who perhaps whined and complained and was short-tempered, but at the end of the day, still had some feelings of care and compassion. This was a more harsher version of Mrs. Joe but I understand where it's coming from. I think my understanding of the book has changed because seeing the story brought to life really helps me visually.


-Karishma