Text: Overnight flowers
"Great Expectations" is one of Dickens's most famous novels in his later years, and it is also an important text for film adaptations. Among the many cinematic versions, the David Lane edition is undoubtedly the most influential. As one of the most important directors in the history of British cinema, David Lane is known for his great achievements in the genre of epic films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. In the early creative career of David Lane, this kind of British film that reflects national psychology and strong cultural characteristics occupies a lot of space.
The name of the film", "Great Expectations", is a grand ambition for the future of life and career development, so "Great Expectations" is the most accurate translation. For a long time, "Lone Star Blood and Tears" is also a popular translation name, and this kind of interest is in line with the law of dissemination of film and television works. As early as the "Cantonese feature film" period, Bruce Lee, who was still a child star, and Wu Chufan, the "Emperor of South China Film", starred in the Cantonese film "Lone Star Blood Tears" adapted from "Great Prospects" (1955 Zhonglian Edition), so "Lone Star Blood Tears" presented the tragedy contained in this story in a more popular way.
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As one of Britain's most influential critical realist writers, Dickens's work has always been committed to reflecting the social reality of the Victorian era in the 19th century, in the era of rapid industrialization, the greed, profit and ugliness of capitalists, the embarrassment and loss of laborers, resulting in subtle changes in the moral concepts of this period of civilization transition. Deep reflections on the plight of the working class, the spiritual world and the relationship between labor and management are the foothold of Dickens's humanitarian and humanistic care.
His works are humorous and vivid, and his depictions of all kinds of characters in society and different classes are intriguing. It is full of profound insight and criticism of social diversity, and also has a profound presentation and reflection on the unpredictable complex human nature. It has a strong realist style, but also does not lose its romantic color.
"Great Prospects" is his masterpiece, through a pure teenager Pip experienced the temptation of money in the capital world, broke with relatives and friends around him, re-reflected, found his own life direction while establishing self-worth and establishing the course of life, to expose the distortion, destruction and alienation of human nature by the law of money and the interests of high society in the capital world, which has profound cautionary significance and practical significance. At the same time, David Lane's lens language adds visual charm to the text story.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >02. Pip: The child figure is a call for human love and goodness</h1>
The British writer George Quising once described Dickens as "a romantic realist". The most obvious embodiment of this "romanticism" in "Great Prospects" lies in a sentiment that celebrates the return of nature to nature and the call for the innocent nature of man. In the first part of the film "Great Prospects", the protagonist Pip is still in his childhood. His body has no vices of the capital world, no financial benefits after devouring the ugly and dark soul, he always runs in the fresh and magnificent jungle, the natural world represented by the coast, his childlike purity and innocence, is a kind of human nature portrayal of returning to the truth, pinning on a cry for love and goodness.
In his childhood, in addition to having the nature of a child and the beautiful qualities of idealization, Pip possessed almost all the excellent character traits of laborers. Unswerving in the treatment of love, both with a fiery and strong sincere heart, but also at all costs to persist and pay; to treat the poverty of life, the hardships of life, with a strong will and optimistic mentality; especially importantly, his inner sensitivity and kindness, not so much sympathy, is more like a compassion and kindness, a kind of emotional resonance based on sympathy for others' sorrow and joy, perception of others' suffering and happiness. Because of this, he is not afraid of danger and hardship, he helps the poor and hungry, and treats all kinds of people in life with tolerance and understanding.
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As the absolute protagonist of the film, the core character throughout the narrative structure and storyline, Pip's growth trajectory and mental journey are the concentrated embodiment of the theme of the film. The typicality of Pip's personality and the complexity of the process of metamorphosis and growth are also the key to the social criticism and reflection of the film.
If The kindness and simplicity of Pip in childhood comes from a simple disposition cultivated in the family environment and labor, then the biggest change in the process of growing up comes from the social attributes of people that force Pip to change himself and adapt to the social environment.
The main reason for the change in Pip's qualities was the aristocratic Lady Harvison and her adopted daughter's conception of the door and the discrimination and prejudice against him by high society. The well-educated and elegant Estella disliked his coarse and humble origins, scorned his enthusiasm and admiration, and held a contemptuous and dismissive attitude. Therefore, driven by love, Pip began to develop hopes for high society, unrealistic fantasies about honor and fame, and he longed for higher social status and good upbringing to realize his love.
Therefore, when the lawyer Jaggers informs Pip of a legacy from the unknown, Pip's vanity and delusion are released and bred like never before. He became extremely swollen and miserly, greedy, conceited, and cold, and egoistic ideas prevailed in his heart, and he began to avoid hiding from his past, seeing the blacksmith's brother-in-law and his former relatives and friends as a burden.
If the indelible psychological distance brought about by the change in social status and the change in the living class is precisely the cruel reality of British capital society, then it is the disillusionment of this dream that causes him to begin moral introspection and return to goodness from a degenerate arrogant gentleman. When he discovers that his patron is none other than Magwayich, who gave him food relief as a child, he begins to re-examine this behavior on a moral level. As a marginal person at the bottom of society, McGwych seems dangerous and destructive, but he has more goodness and faithfulness than the aristocratic lady who is occupied by hatred and the selfish and greedy elite lawyer, and has a more human good light.
Therefore, when Pip's dream of "high society" led by money and status was disillusioned, he began to repent of his arrogance and indifference to his relatives and friends. He risks his life to rescue his patrons and bravely confides in his lover Estella, piercing Harwison's mental paralysis of her. Pip has experienced an innocent and immaculate child, a selfish and snobbish gentleman and through introspection to maturity and self-improvement, this kind of loss and self-pursuit, is the portrayal of the true weakness of human nature, the struggle between money and moral affection, after all, makes him more sober and open-minded: sincere love and precious family friendship, justice and goodness are the basis of the "great future".
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Reinforcing the symbolism of the spatial shape is the most prominent expression of director David Lane in the audiovisual language of the film. There are three most common spaces in the film: the countryside that symbolizes home and homeland, the marshlands on the southeast coast of Kent, London, which symbolizes the big city and high society, and the Satis Estate of Miss Harvison in the town.
The former is the most colorful imagery in the film. When he was a child, Pip often wandered alone by the riverbank path, in the muddy area with dense water and grass and water vapor, a sense of danger and mystery suddenly emerged; this depth and poignancy were the portrayal of his helpless, bumpy duckweed-like floating life; the desolate and secluded desolation and seclusion of the cold wind, symbolizing the desolation and helplessness of Pip's childhood. And it is this cold and hard life that gives birth to the integrity and friendliness of the working class represented by his brother-in-law Joe, a blacksmith.
The patchwork of the London metropolitan area shows a difference from the countryside bustling and exquisite, and under the bright appearance is breeding human depravity and moral degeneration, when Pip leaves the swamp of his hometown and tries to change his destiny by transforming himself into the city to achieve his ideals, desire and vanity gradually swallow up his simple and kind nature, and this sense of tragedy at a loss cannot be eliminated in the cracks of an identity.
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In showing Miss Harwison and her Satis Estate, the film uses a great deal of expressionism. The surreal, mysterious, dark and terrifying atmosphere of Satis Manor is full of magic. A large number of shadows, light and dark light contrasts, and a sense of complete oppression, are similar to Hitchcock's use of Gothic architecture in "Butterfly Dream" to create a ghost town-like spiritual cage.
At the end of the film, Estella is distraught and wants to fend for herself in the Satis Manor. At this time, the appearance of Pip not only brought her the hope of a better life and the power of love, but also brought an incomparable spiritual force to her sick and distorted inner world - under the insurmountable class gap and the deceitful interests of the Victorian era, even though the front was full of setbacks and harshness, but adhering to her own innocence and good qualities, breaking the shackles and shackles of stereotypes and bad habits, you can finally obtain inner relief and frankness, pure happiness and beauty.