Here's the memorable opening sequence from David Lean's postwar classic:
Scottish character actor Finlay Currie had over 140 credits between 1931 and 1969, none better than his work in this scene. He performed right up until his death in 1968 at age 90.
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5 comments:
super scary character, that. Witness the chains around the ankles. The threats to cut out and eat the boy's liver are especially chilling. He redeems himself, though, this criminal. Beneath his tough exterior is a man who will take the blame to spare the boy....
He scared the heck out of me... I kinda like my liver where it is. That was a really great scene.
Definitely a classic!
I think that most of the dialogue is lifted directly from the novel. The opening shot of Pip running across the moor is wonderful. Today's directors would ruin the effect with cutting -- bringing the camera to Pip instead of the other way around and making it the prime player in the scene.
GE featured Jean Simmons, then 17, in one of her first parts. It's probably the best screen adaptation of a Dickens book.
My new word of the year is "expectations", K. Thanks for this clip - you gave me an idea for my post about it. The book and the movie are top of my get-to-it list this year.
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