The 2012 film Great Expectations is a movie version of the literary classic, directed by Mike Newell. Following the book very closely, it is apparent that the director intended to create a visual version of what readers would interpret when reading the novel, for example the cadaverous appearance of Miss Havisham, the hustle and bustle of Victorian London and historically accurate outfits, hairstyle and makeup. What I noticed in terms of this was how Pip's costume changed particularly colour wise. When he was a blacksmith he would wear dark greens and browns, however when he came into his fortune, he wore white when first arriving in London (which was juxtaposed with the dark costume of every single other person in London). Moreover, he has sideburns later in the film. I found that the movie has characters that are humorous such as Mr. Pumblechook, which softened the narrative before we are introduced to startling nature of Miss Havisham and the decline of Pip's good luck.
There are metaphors in the movie that the audience can pick up on, for example the scene I mentioned previously where Pip is in white amongst a crowd of black clad Victorians. This could represent his innocence and purity before London, money and his desire for Estella ruin him and his loyalty to his roots for years. In addition to this, at the end of the film when Miss Havisham first receives Estella, she welcomes her under her veil, depicting her influence over her and the taking of Estella's heart.
What I didn't like about the setting was that the marshes that surrounded the Gargery residence wasn't as eerie or marshy as I'd imagined, and I believe that the BBC rendition is more aesthetically accurate. However, I did enjoy the film thoroughly and thought it condensed the book well.
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