From this we are able to imagine the “raw afternoon toward evening” with the rushing wind that with it carries the sea breeze. We can imagine hearing cows in the distant and the rattle of the trees in the wind. The horizon would be full of dykes and mounds that somewhere lays a church. The church might look out of place but the overgrow nettles would help to make the church look more natural.
The chill of the wind along with the sea breeze would give a very cold feeling. The convict would also bring a chill to little Pip, as he speaks to him with a ruff and scary voice. More sights and sounds are experienced in the last paragraph. This is where Pip is running back home after his experience of the convict in the graveyard. “The marshes were just a long black horizontal line”. This is the opening sentence, which goes on to describe the sky was just a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed.
Pip also looks back to see the man and describes him as limping on toward a beacon that was used by sailors. The gallows where also in the horizon and the cows are said to lift their heads to gaze after the convict.
Although much of the 2nd chapter is a detailed description of the backdrop we also learn a bit about the characters, such as what they look like.
I find Pip to be a very imaginative 9-year-old boy, which shows not much fear. I think this as the way in which he looks at his mothers and fathers gravestone and then builds up a picture of them both in his head. He acts very calm when took by the arms by the convict.
The convict seems to be a big rough and bold man with many rough edges. We see him being described as a fearful man, all in course grey with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat that suggest he is not a gentleman and someone with hardly any wealth. His broken shoes and old rag tied around his head add more to the rough picture that can be built up by the reader. The convict seems to be soaked in water and smothered in mud. He is cut from the stone and flint; his teeth chatted in his head as he seized up Pip. Suddenly we can see that with his irons and soaked body he must be some kind of convict that has come ashore from a boat of some kind. He also seems to be a man with not many cares in the world.
Pip the typical schoolboy with his fat rose cheeks and low pitch voice gives us an idea that Pip was pretty much defenceless against this beast of a man.
The book was made into a film in the 1940’s. I have watched the beginning and am now comparing it to the book. I believe that the film follows what Dickens wrote very well. The scene first starts with what seems to be a very well brought up man speaking and reading from a book. His words are that the same of the 1st paragraph in the book. The man seems to be educated and sensible man from the way in which he speaks. All the details that are present in the book are also in the film. Pip is how I would expect him to look along with the convict who also looks much the same as described in the book. Pip looks to be a typical schoolboy with his blonde hair and neat clothes. Pip seems to be a well-spoken boy who doesn’t look like if could defend himself against any large built man. Pip looks about 8 years old and he has a thin build that is what you would expect. I find that Pip looks younger in the 1940’s film than that he is described in the book. This I think adds more innocents of Pip and the less chance he would have of defending himself. I think that this is an important change and helps the viewer of the 1940’s film to feel more suspense as little Pip would have no chance of defending himself. Pip has a sense of control about himself, as he acts so calm when the convict jumps out at him and still remains politely towards the convict. The convict is a lot like he is described in the book. His big nose, rough clothes and cuts on face is what I built up a picture of after reading the book. The convict seems to have a Kentish accent and this along with his torn clothes and other details builds up a very good and interesting character.
One thing that I found not to be present is this vision of the cows in the film, but details such as the nettles and greyish sky are present. The lines of red in the sky are not seen in the film but this is because of the fact that the film in black and white. The sound effects that are in the book are also present in the film but they are used in a very different way. From the start of the film all we can hear is the howling of the wind and the blowing of the trees. As we see Pip get closer to the graveyard the sound fades out and other sounds become present. As Pip looking at his mothers and fathers gravestone we can hear the clinking of the chains on the convicts legs. I find this sudden change of sound to be off putting and I think that it would work better if there were a constant volume of the background sound.
The words that are spoken by Pip and the convict are followed very closely and can be very easily related to the original book. The convict looks are very similar as well and also can be related to the book. Another thing that I found to be different from the book is that in the book the convict empties Pips pockets and then stays with him as he eats his findings. In the film we see that the convict empties Pips pockets and then sits down away from Pip. This alteration is very noticeable and I think that if this happened Pip would of run away. The effects and camera angles that where used in the film is quite basic but very effective. The howling of the wind and the rustling of the trees give good atmosphere and are very appropriate. The music that is used for the background sound at the credits is not so appropriate and leads the viewer to think differently to what the story is about. Other effects that I think work well are the angle at which the gravestones are placed and the long branched tree that hangs over them all. Also when Pip first arrives in the churchyard he pulls out an old plant from his mothers and fathers gravestone, this is very effective as it shows Pip cares about them.
The film was later made again by the BBC in 1999 and we also where able to watch this and make comparisons to this. The 1940s film started by the credits coming up and music in the background. The music in the background in my opinion is a very bad choice. This is because the music doesn’t portray what the story is about and it gives the wrong sense of what the story is going to be about. The film then goes on to show Pip running to the graveyard after the brief reading of the book by the much elder Pip. This is exactly what happens in the book and the 1940 have stuck very closely to the book. The 1999 version of the film is very much different and does not follow the book as closely as the 1940s film does.
The 1999 film starts by showing Pip running though a cornfield. We hear the deep breathing of Pip and the clinking of chains in the background. Pip looks worried as he keeps looking behind him to see what or who is there. We then see the credits. The credits are a vast improvement to the 1940s film as the background music is a lot more appropriate to the story line. We hear a single note being played and then another note. This works very well and builds up the atmosphere at the beginning of the story. We don’t see all the names of every one involved in the film; we see just a few names that fade in and out of the background. The background picture of the credits is of the marsh land and dark cloudy sky. These backgrounds along with the music works very well and help the viewer to visualise what the story is about and also builds up atmosphere. Another difference that is in the 1999 film that is also an improvement is the visual effects. These would be expected as it a newer film and that these extra camera angles make the film better. Such Effects as the camera angles and the birds that are added. These flocks of birds are shown twice and are there for added impact. The birds change direction when Pip falls to the floor and cry out “Mummy”. This effect is very good and helps the audience relate to what is happening. The camera angles such as the ground level one that shows the audience what Pip can see when the convict is walking up to him. These shows us what Pip can see and hear from the ground level. Other camera angles such as the third person view when Pip is running though the cornfield. The camera moves as if running as well and this also adds interest to the film. The sound that is used thought the film is very good. We just hear the clinking of chains and Pips heavy breathing. With no background music this effect is very good and gets the viewers attention.
This version of “Great Expectations” is very different from the book and the 1940s version. We see in the book Pip running graveyard and this is where he meets the convict. In the 1999 version we first see Pip running through the field and then back to his sisters house. From here we then see Pip taking some food from his sisters cellar and a file from her husbands workshop. This is what the convict has asked for Pip to get for him, but we are not told this and it would become a bit confusing for anyone who hasn’t read the book or seen the 1940s film. We then see Pip asleep in his bed reliving what happened at the graveyard. As you can see the order of events has changed a lot and I believe for the better. I don’t believe that you would be able to write it in this way, as the reader would become confused.
The characters also have changed from the book and the 1940s film. The convict has not changed very much but Pip has changed a lot. He no longer looks like a village schoolboy with his blonde fair hair and neat clothes. From his lighter hair Pip now has dark hair and rough clothes. This change is not as welcomed as the order of events in the story. This change gives a whole new perspective of Pip. A boy with lighter hair gives more of an impression of a gentle boy. Where as a boy with darker hair looks a lot stronger minded and not so weak. Pip also looks older. I think that now he looks about 10 or 11 years old. The convict has not changed much and the close up camera shot that where used to portray him work very well and show the viewers what a horrible man he looks. The language that is used by both of them is also much the same. Although we don’t hear as much speaking at the start of the film and the words have been altered when the convict has hold of Pip.
On the whole I believe that all of the films and the book are very good. I prefer the newer version of the film to the book or the 1940s film. This is because of the added camera angles and the extra visual effects. However I think that my opinion corresponds to my age, if you where to ask an older person I think that they would give a completely different opinion. I find the later version of the film to be better but I think that it could be improved if it stuck closer to the original. The better visual effects and sounds effects all add up to give a better story line. However the graveyard seen should have been more informative to what the convict wants Pip to get for him before it shows Pip getting them for the convict.
