31-32 Great Expectations and Oliver Twist
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- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:53 pm
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31-32 Great Expectations and Oliver Twist
Great Expectations
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/284/31_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean’s Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens’s masterpiece to robust on-screen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean’s magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.
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Oliver Twist
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2251/32_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
Expressionistic noir photography suffuses David Lean's Oliver Twist with a nightmarish quality, fitting its bleak, industrial setting. In Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home. Here Alec Guinness is the quintessential Fagin, his controversial performance fully restored in Criterion's new digital transfer.
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Disc Features
- The original theatrical trailer
- Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/284/31_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
One of the great translations of literature into film, David Lean’s Great Expectations brings Charles Dickens’s masterpiece to robust on-screen life. Pip, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, and Estella populate Lean’s magnificent miniature, beautifully photographed by Guy Green and designed by John Bryan.
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
Feature currently disabled
Oliver Twist
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2251/32_box_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]
Expressionistic noir photography suffuses David Lean's Oliver Twist with a nightmarish quality, fitting its bleak, industrial setting. In Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home. Here Alec Guinness is the quintessential Fagin, his controversial performance fully restored in Criterion's new digital transfer.
Criterionforum.org user rating averages
Feature currently disabled
Disc Features
- The original theatrical trailer
- Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
Last edited by Martha on Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- tryavna
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:38 pm
- Location: North Carolina
Last week I watched Oliver Twist on TCM for the first time in a long time and was completely blown away by Lean's handling of it. I think many Americans like myself tend to associate Lean so completely with his later epics that we forget just how efficient and entertaining a storyteller he was. (Based solely on this and Great Expectations, I'd rank him alongside John Huston as one of the best adapters of literary works for film.) What I particularly appreciated was that Lean takes his time and pays equal attention to all of the characters, rather than rushing through the early bits as many filmmakers do just to get to the Fagin-Artful Dodger parts. I mean, the long opening with Oliver's mother walking up to the workhouse and the silent scene with Bill Sikes (Robert Newton) and his dog sitting in the room with the body of Nancy are wonderfully atmospheric, and Lean allows them to build slowly. I also liked some of the cross-cutting techniques that Lean employs early on.
I can't remember the last I simply enjoyed a movie so much. It's a real shame that Criterion didn't include any significant extras on their release, though. The film certainly deserves it.
I can't remember the last I simply enjoyed a movie so much. It's a real shame that Criterion didn't include any significant extras on their release, though. The film certainly deserves it.
- denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
Are these likely to be upgraded by Criterion? I'm assuming these are interlaced, but the transfers (from DVD Beaver caps) look good. The prices are high, but as part of the Great Adaptations box (and with DVDPlanet's upcoming 20% off), they come at a good price and I'm tempted by them. Where's the love for these releases?
- manicsounds
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:58 pm
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
- sidehacker
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:49 am
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- dr. calamari
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:55 pm
- Location: palookaville
I received the Great Adaptations set as a gift last year, and I have to say I've rarely enjoyed two films as much as I did these...Criterion did a wonderful job with both of them, they're much sharper and clearer than I'd remembered them being. David Lean's direction (and adaptation, too) is pitch perfect; I especially liked how he streamlined Great Expectations enough to make it viable as a film, yet it doesn't really feel as though anything of importance has been left out.
I haven't watched the other two films in the box yet, but if they were given the same treatment by Criterion, I have a lot to look forward to.
I haven't watched the other two films in the box yet, but if they were given the same treatment by Criterion, I have a lot to look forward to.
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
- dr. calamari
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:55 pm
- Location: palookaville
Yeah, I guess some people just avoid them because they're "old" films, or they're in black-and-white. Too bad...I re-watched Oliver Twist last night and was thoroughly engrossed...the cinematography is incredible, and most of the performances are perfect, especially Alec Guinness as Fagin. Even the child actors were credible, and much less annoying than child actors usually are. For once I watched a film in which children figure prominently without hating children by the end of the film.HerrSchreck wrote:Those who bloop over these titles are missing out on some of the finest cinematography ever committed to film, in Oliver Twist. Pure gorgeous tour de force from a to z.
That's how good Oliver Twist is.
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Just a heads-up to confirm that the new ITV Region 2 DVDs of GREAT EXPECTATIONS and OLIVER TWIST are barebones (save for OT's theatrical trailer) but they are worthwhile nonetheless for the new restorations: contrast and detail are excellent. With those new editions and Optimum's recent resto of HOBSON'S CHOICE, it's a good time to be a fan of early Lean. Even at the current RRP of £7.99 at play and amazon, these are bound to be cheaper than any CC reissue (if they plan to revisit Lean at all).
- starmanof51
- Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 3:28 am
- Location: Seattleish
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Mr. Finch, did you pick up the entire Centenary set? I'm very interested to hear as much as possible about all of these transfers. I've put the bug in The Beaver's ear, but Gary is pretty backlogged as it is without another 10 film set to deal with.Mr Finch wrote:Just a heads-up to confirm that the new ITV Region 2 DVDs of GREAT EXPECTATIONS and OLIVER TWIST are barebones (save for OT's theatrical trailer) but they are worthwhile nonetheless for the new restorations: contrast and detail are excellent. With those new editions and Optimum's recent resto of HOBSON'S CHOICE, it's a good time to be a fan of early Lean. Even at the current RRP of £7.99 at play and amazon, these are bound to be cheaper than any CC reissue (if they plan to revisit Lean at all).
- Matt
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:58 pm
Re:
It’s quite unbelievable that we’re still waiting on upgrades for these, as well as Summertime and Hobson’s Choice. I realize they’re not the most fashionable films these days, but if there is a market for 4K restorations of Benny Hill films in 2021, surely some pocket change could be spared for David Lean. What could possibly be holding these up?
- denti alligator
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm
- Location: "born in heaven, raised in hell"
Re: Re:
To be quoted (and get a notification) on a post from 13 years ago is weird, especially when the question posed then seems still to be relevant. And then the person quoting me is the OG Criterionforum.org administrator...Matt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 11:15 pmIt’s quite unbelievable that we’re still waiting on upgrades for these, as well as Summertime and Hobson’s Choice. I realize they’re not the most fashionable films these days, but if there is a market for 4K restorations of Benny Hill films in 2021, surely some pocket change could be spared for David Lean. What could possibly be holding these up?
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- Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:27 pm
Re: 31-32 Great Expectations and Oliver Twist
Criterion could do a companion box to the Lean/Coward set with upgrades of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Hobson’s Choice, and Sunmertime plus new-to-disc The Passionate Friends and Madeline.
Perhaps “Adapted by David Lean” since they’re all based on existing literary works and Lean also wrote or co-wrote the screenplays in addition to directing.
Perhaps “Adapted by David Lean” since they’re all based on existing literary works and Lean also wrote or co-wrote the screenplays in addition to directing.