When the BBC released its new adaptation of the Dickens classic in March 2023, comparison with the many previous TV and film versions was inevitable – as was the question of what this latest series could offer. Here we run through some of the most memorable adaptations of Great Expectations, taking the story from silent movie to the small screen via 1990s America, animation and an award-winning classic.
1917
The first filmed adaptation of Great Expectations was directed by Robert G Vignola – one of the silent screen’s biggest directors – and saw Jack Pickford and Louise Huff take the leading roles as Pip and Estella. A 50-minute silent film distributed by Paramount Pictures, it featured just seven characters.
The original reels have since been lost, leaving us with a handful of prints, advertising posters and a review in The Moving Picture World declaring that ‘Many liberties have been taken with the story, but the essence of this old tale has been preserved.’
1934
Filmed with sound in Hollywood and using predominantly American actors, Stuart Walker’s adaptation saw some alterations in Miss Havisham’s personality from the literary character – and in an unusual change to the book’s plot, she dies of natural causes.
1946
David Lean’s adaptation starred John Mills, Alec Guinness and Valerie Hobson and won two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Black-and-White; and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Applauded for its style and the way it brought the book’s atmosphere to the big screen, it continues to feature in lists of the best British films of all time.
1954
The very first television adaptation of Great Expectations was a two-part series airing as part of the Robert Montgomery Presents series. It starred Roddy McDowall and Estelle Winwood, both regular guests on Robert Montgomery Presents – in other words, the casting was not tailored to the characters, and this adaptation has been largely forgotten.
1959
The first lengthy TV adaptation, a 13-part series, also failed to live up to the popularity of the previous decade’s film. Starring Dinsdale Landen (a largely comedic actor) in his television debut, this 1959 version joins the ranks of the 1954 miniseries in ‘adaptations no one really talks about’.
1967
The 1967 BBC 1 adaptation was the first TV version of Great Expectations to which audiences responded positively. It was noted for being especially well-scripted and powerfully acted and, despite having a tight budget, was widely beloved by viewers.
1974
Sentimental in approach, and the first colour adaptation, this widely criticized film version by award-winning director Joseph Hardy starred Michael Yorke and Sarah Miles. One of the harshest responses came from The Listener, a BBC magazine that ran from 1921 to 1999. Their review declared of the film: ‘Everything is wrong about it with a sort of dedicated, inspired wrongness that, in itself, is breath-taking.’
1981
The 1981 adaptation is perhaps best-known for its meta casting: Colin Jeavons, who played Herbert Pocket in 1959, took the role of Mr Wemmick in this serialization.
1983
Aimed at a younger audience, this was the first animated film adaptation of Great Expectations. Just 70 minutes long, it was directed by Alexander Buzo and featured the voices of Phillip Hinton, Liz Horne, Robin Stewart and Bill Kerr.
1989
Aired on the Disney Channel in the US before being shown on ITV, this series saw Jean Simmons – who played the young Estella in 1946 – take up the role of Miss Havisham, while Sir Anthony Hopkins starred as Magwitch. Over five hours in duration, it was better able to develop the book’s plot and themes such as poverty and class, adhering closely to the novel and featuring the minor characters and subplots that are often omitted.
1998
Alfonso Cuarón (director of Gravity) took a new approach as the 20th century drew to a close, setting his version of the classic in modern-day New York – a far cry from the strictures of Victorian London – and focusing on the romance between Gwyneth Paltrow’s Estella and Pip, an aspiring artist renamed Finn and played by Ethan Hawke.
1999
Considered by many to be one of the best invocations of the character, Charlotte Rampling’s portrayal of Miss Havisham received much critical acclaim as part of this three-hour long film – which is also one of the most faithful versions.
2011
Gillian Anderson’s performance as Miss Havisham in the BBC’s three-part drama was critically acclaimed. However, despite reaching an audience of over 6 million per episode, the series as a whole was considered by some to have failed in recreating the atmosphere of the book.
2012
Starring Jeremy Irvine, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane and Helena Bonham Carter, this film version was hotly anticipated; but upon release, it met with a more lukewarm response from critics – ‘a decent, slightly unadventurous film that gets the basics right,’ for the Guardian reviewer.
2023
Created in collaboration with the BBC by Steven Knight, who received the Edgar Award for Dirty Pretty Things and also wrote Peaky Blinders, this latest version saw the much-feted Olivia Coleman take the role of Miss Havisham and Fionn Whitehead, famed for his part in Dunkirk, as Pip.
With such names attached to it, audience figures were expected to be high, but it wasn’t long before Knight’s interpretation of the novel left many critics disappointed. While the Telegraph concluded that ‘someone should tell TV commissioners that change isn’t always a good thing’, the Independent was more forgiving, pointing out that, flawed as it is, ‘It has, at its heart, a fabulously entertaining story (all credit Mr Dickens).’
