Film Reivew Of The 1998 Version Of Great Expectati

Josh Grafstein After reading segments of the Charles Dickens novel "Great expectations", Mr. Bucolo's class was all assigned different film adaptations and different things to look for while watching that particular movie. My assignment was to write about the camera shots and pace of the 1998 version staring Gwenith Paltrow and Ethan Hawk. While watching the movie I noticed a few major points. The first was that some of the camera shots were a lot more sophisticated. This is probably due to the fact that they had a larger budget than the rest of the movies. I assume that every important role to making this movie was well paid, due to the popular actors staring in this film. One of the very good camera shots the film had was the use of lights and darks. One of the best examples of light and dark was when fin say the fish at the very beginning at first it was very clear than it started to swim away into the shadow.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

English: Portrait - Charles Dickens Polski: Portre...

film chamber

Another good film technique used in the movie was close ups on different parts of the body. When Fin's benefactor was dieing they showed his hand letting go of a bottle to show that he had died, not only was it just the what happened, but it was the way the viewer sees it. The camera is on a slant where it seems like the bottle is rolling down a hill. That is symbolic for Fin's dreams going down him as he watches his benefactor die. Through out the film there has been one obvious theme. When ever the character who plays the role of pip is to be involved with a major point in the story there is green all around. When he is a child the house is filled with green weeds, the wall paper is green, Mrs. Havasham is wearing a lot of green. Than when we see the art show, pip and everyone else there is wearing some shade of green in their suit. When pip finds out Estella is married he and Mrs. Havasham are wearing shades of green. When Fin meets his benefactor he is wearing a red shirt, the very opposite from green. The over all color scheme of this movie was phenomenal. This film was filled with foreshadows and is filled with many forms of symbolism.

Copy of a Photograph of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, circa 1860

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