Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Verity Robins Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

sairam-subramani This is a fabulous adaptation of Charles Dickens' magnum opus. The performances were marvelous all around, with special mentions to Finlay Currie (Magwitch) and Francis L. Sullivan (Mr. Jaggers). Further, the dialogues taken verbatim from the source material served to appease the biggest fans of his work (among which I must, with no restraint, count myself as one).The only qualm I have with this film is that it is guilty of overlooking some key moments and plot threads which made the original work the true classic it is. I speak not so much of the creative licence which justified some subtle deviations at no cost of diluting the storyline, but rather of outright omissions such as Magwitch's account of his miserable past, Orlick's twin assaults and Pip's tear-filled apology to Joe on his final return. I also felt the ending did not do Dickens justice; it felt unnecessarily rushed and passionate for an exchange should leave the viewer still wondering.These musings aside, Lean's Great Expectations (1946) remains a classic in its own right; one that stands alongside Dickens' work as an equal.9/10

HotToastyRag While this version wasn't technically the first, it's universally referred to as "the original" adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations. If you don't know the story, it follows the journey of a poor young boy Pip who is sent to play with the beautiful Estella, by request of the wealthy and strange Miss Havisham. He sees his commonness in contrast to her delicate beauty, and resolves to become a gentleman when he grows up, so that he might be worthy of her. There's a lot more to the story than that, but if you want to learn more, either pick up the book or rent the 1946 film version. The original really is the best.John Mills plays grown-up Pip, and it's hard to watch any other version—out of the dozens of remakes out there—without comparing other actors to him. Plus, he looks very handsome in 1800s costumes! Young Pip is played by Tony Wager, and it's as if the camera crew really found him in the graveyard as they filmed the opening scene. His fear and shame in the beginning of the film is intense; I'm always amazed at the talent of young actors. Jean Simmons played young Estella, and audiences were so transfixed by her cold beauty, she became an instant star.Another familiar face to look out for is a young Alec Guinness, as the young "pale faced gentleman". The tragic acting of the cast, and David Lean's old-style direction that captures the spookiness of Miss Havisham's world, is superb. There have been so many failed attempts to recapture the magic of Great Expectations, and I've seen almost all of them. I didn't see the 1991 version, in which Jean Simmons plays Miss Havisham, though. I thought that would be rather sad to watch. Save yourself the trouble of hunting down every known version, and buy a copy of the 1946 version. It will become your go-to movie on dark winter nights, believe me.

Hitchcoc This is a classic version of one of Dickens' great works. It involves the story of Pip (Philip Pirrip) orphaned and raised by his sister. It starts with an assault by a criminal who terrorizes him. Pip dreams of being a gentleman and at some point money shows up from an unnamed benefactor. This sets his life in motion. One day he is called to the house of Miss Havisham and meets Estella (Jean Simmons/Later Valerie Hobson) the snobbish ward of the old lady. Pip's life takes a series of dramatic jolts that almost ruin him. The acting is wonderful and the story tight and well plotted. What is missing are some very important interactions among significant characters from the book. I know a movie can only be so long, but it cheats out of some really significant action. I am particularly fond of the Disney mini-series that came out a few years ago, starring Jean Simmons, this time as Miss Havisham.

treeline1 Young Pip has a hard life: His parents have died, he lives with his shrewish sister, and he's destined to be a lowly blacksmith. Fate smiles on him, however, when a mysterious old lady pays him to play at her estate. It's there he meets the love of his life, the beautiful, but heartless, Estella.This is a great Dickens story, full of emotional ups and downs, following Pip from childhood to adulthood. Tony Wager is endearing as the sweet younger Pip and John Mills is equally sympathetic as adult Pip. Teenaged Jean Simmons is remarkably lovely as the bred-to-be-cruel Estella.The 1946 David Lean movie has many twists and turns and a warm, satisfying ending. Outstanding in every way and a true classic.