Media essay comparing Essay

The use of this threat, which suggests cannibalism, something that still horrifies a lot of people, is particularly effective and still used in films such as â€Å"Silence of the lambs†. Pip certainly portrays an effective show of fear. In the 1997 version Finn, rather looks well cared for and certainly able to defend himself. When Robert De Niro enters as Magwitch he does look rather rough and his use of very graphic language is meant to be representative of the fact that he is not well educated where as in the David Lean version even though Magwitch was ill mannered he did not swear. When grabbed by Magwitch Finn doesn’t look quite as scared as he is meant to. He is not able to answer question except to nod or make some gurgling noises as Magwitch’s hand is covering his mouth all the while. As the 1944 version follows the novel closely the convict is able to pick Pip up and place him on a tombstone and tilt him back to a position where he (the convict) is Pip’s only support and the fact that throughout the whole rough treatment he gets from Magwitch he is constantly polite and uses the respectful title â€Å"sir†, when it is quite clear that Magwitch is no gentleman makes the audience feel even more sympathetic towards him. As the 1997 version of the movie is shot at a beach there is no way that Magwitch could have picked Finn up and place him on a tombstone, although in my opinion he could have tilted him back from the boat nearby so that if Magwitch let go he would fall into the ocean. As for body language on the whole I think that Pip was able to demonstrate his fear far better than Finn in the 1997 version. I found the actions and body language of Magwitch equally daunting in both films. In the 1944 version we do not get to see the Convict’s face properly which leads the audience think of him as a very sinister and frightening figure, as on could imagine him in anyway they like. To oppose that we see Pips face quite clearly and the fear etched into it. In the 1997 version we have only a fleeing vision of the convicts face before the camera zooms in on Pips face and w can only see the convict’s hand which is covering his moth. I believe the 1944 version was more successful in creating a Magwitch that was fearsome to all. I believe casting had a hug part to play in this as well, because I had grown p watching Robert De Niro movies and I have seen him appear in many of my favourite movies in the role of many of my favourite characters and it was very hard for me to think of him as the evil and sinister looking Magwitch as I had other impressions from him. On the other hand as the 1944 version was made years before I was born I had no idea who the actors were and I had no impressions of them before I watched the movie and I am sure if I come across a movie with Finlay Currie cast in a different role I would still think of hi as Abel Magwitch. People usually go to movies to escape their reality for a brief spell of time, the fact that David Lean chose to have his cast wearing Victorian customs makes it easier for the audience to feel transported into another era easier than the 1997 version where the director chose to have the costumes modernized along with everything else. On the whole I think that David Leans version of Great Expectations was more successful in creating tension and suspense. The fact that the movie is in black and white and that it portrays grim and harsh surroundings as opposed to the beautiful and sunny location of the 1997 version of the film where it was very hard for me to feel the slightest bit of tension although there was a considerable amount produced by the sudden appearance of the convict I didn’t feel it was enough or that it did any justice to the book which in my opinion is one of the best ever written and nowadays I often come across writers who have tried to reproduce novels the same way Dickens did. I preferred the 1944 David Lean version because I felt it did justice to the book and gratified my expectations in creating a cataclysm of mounting tension. Niloofar Bozorgi 10R 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.