A Comparison of Two Film Versions of the Beginning of Great Expectations

A Comparison of Two Film Versions of the Beginning of Great Expectations

Great expectations is a film about a young boy named Pip and his

journey through life

In this essay I am going to be talking about and comparing the

openings of two film versions of the film and deciding which is most

effective my first question is can Todorov's narrative theory be

applied to the opening of both films and how

Todorov's narrative theory is:

A state ofequilibrium at the outset;

2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action;

3. A recognition that there has been a disruption;

4. An attempt to repair the disruption;

5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium

I think this applies to both of the openings of the films as in the

old one there is a state of equilibrium when pip goes to the graveyard

to visit his mother and fathers grave there is a disruption when the

convict turns up this is recognised when pip screams there is an

attempt to repair the disruption when pip tries to run and also when

he agrees to bring the convict a file and some food the next day and

then there is a reinstatement of the equilibrium when the convict lets

pip go and in the new film opening there is a state of equilibrium

when Finn (pip) is drawing the fish in the lake the disruption is when

the convict comes out of the water and grabs Finn(pip), an attempt to

restore the equilibrium when the convict tells Finn(pip) to lower his

voice and when Finn(pip) agrees to bring him the bolt cutters and the

food and then there is a reinstatement of the equilibrium when he

tells pip to go and pip gets the boat started.

I must also consider how cinematography affects the audience in the

old version and I think that the cinematography in the old film

affects the audience in more than one way in the beginning of the

opening of the old film the first camera shot is of a book which says