Essay about Tension in David Leans Great Expectations

Tension in David Leans Great Expectations In this essay I will be analysing the opening scene of David Leans version of Great Expectations to see how tension is brought to the screen. Great Expectations is a novel wrote by Charles Dickens in 1861 but set in 1812. The film version I will be analysing was produced in 1945. In the scene I will be analysing, it shows a young boy, Pip visiting the grave of his parents. While Pip is in the graveyard an escaped convict grabs him and questions Pip and when he finds out that he is living with a blacksmith he demands Pip to get him a file so he can free himself and some whittles which are scraps of food. The scene ends with Pip running off home.†¦show more content†¦From the appearance the viewer would think that he is a nice boy due to him being all clean, tidy and smartly dressed. This contrasts to the convict who looks dirty and wears dirty clothes and has a scary facial expression, this makes the convict seem frightening. The weather added to the rundown look of the graveyard, Pips actions in the graveyard as well as the appearance of the convict sets the scene and makes you know something is going to happen. The second area I will be analysing is camera angles, camera angles can change the way you perceive a scene, for instance if a low angle shot is used then it creates a feeling of power to the person or object it is being used on. In this scene lots of P.O.V shots are used. P.O.V shots are point of view shots; they show you what the character is seeing through their eyes. This helps you too see how scary the place is looking from hi eyes it is the way the director, David Lean, makes you feel sorry for Pip. At the start of the scene there is a long shot of Pip running to the graveyard it looks very dismal and very bleak. This adds to the impression of it being a bad place. When Pip meets Magwitch lots of low angle and high angle camera shots are used to show the power difference between the two characters. The camera never goes above Pips height in this scene this shows the dominance Magwitch hasShow MoreRelatedThe Opening Sequences of David Lean and Alfonso Cuarons Film Version of Great Expectations1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Opening Sequences of David Lean and Alfonso Cuarons Film Version of Great Expectations In this media assignment I shall be analyzing and comparing the similarities and differences of two famous directors film versions of Great Expectations. The two directors are David Lean and Alfonso Cuaron. David Leans version was more popular and well known than Alfonso Cuarons because Lean was the first director to actually direct Great Expectations. This made it more difficultRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Two Film Openings to Great Expectations1356 Words   |  6 Pagesof Two Film Openings to Great Expectations The story Great Expectations is based in Victorian times and was written by Charles Dickens in the 1860s. This novel which Charles Dickens wrote has been produced as a film one version by David Lean and another by B.B.C. The B.B.C version is the modern version and the version produced by David Lean is the traditional version. I will be comparing these two versions of the openings to Great Expectations. These two openingsRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations2277 Words   |  10 PagesAlthough Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations was published in 1861, modern-day playwrights, authors, and directors go to great lengths to preserve its timelessness. Many of these writers feel that the best way to keep the novel relevant to society is to alter the original novel to make it culturally relevant or acceptable. The idea of cultural studies in regards to literature and literary criticism began in the 1950s and â€Å"involves viewing and analyzing practically any recorded phenomenon