Introduction

Great Expectations is one of Charles Dickens’s most famous novels. Generally viewed as a bildungsroman (coming-of-age story), it is the tale of how young Pip rises from his lowly status as a poor orphan to become a gentleman of means. In doing so, he confronts the reality that success does not always bring joy and that growing up involves inner, as well as outer, growth. It’s a story that has been told and retold countless times in books, in films, in comic books, and on television.

Dickens is considered a master of the English language. His stories, written and set in the 19th century, are filled with vivid descriptions, colorful dialogue, memorable characters, and deep reflections on the meaning of love, happiness, pride, wealth, vice, and virtue. How then do you adapt his unique literary style successfully into the medium of film?