CINEMA CLASSICS SEMINAR: GREAT EXPECTATIONS

In the years during and following the Second World War, British cinema turned to the romanticism of bygone eras—a welcome retreat into the past to avoid the horrors of the present. The idealistic nostalgia of the Regency or Victorian periods offered a gentle distraction from the realities of the Blitz, the overwhelming loss of life, the scarcity of resources, and the stark reality of Britain’s newly subordinated global position.

At first glance, Lean’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1861 novel is commensurate with these elements. With a narrative firmly ensconced in the mid-Victorian period, when Britain dominated the globe through its Empire, its story revels in British economic ascendency, rather than present uncertainty. However, Lean’s mastery of the original source material allows for an inversion of these themes. Rather than offering romantic escape from realities too terrible to face, the director advocates for confrontation, and through such engagement, the potential for a nation to free itself from the control and expectations of its past.

Join us for this seminar as we examine David Lean’s exploration of social corruption, decay, and glorious rebirth. It’s a narrative suffused with hope for the future, even when the fabric that defines a nation is seemingly most wretched and torn.

Are you interested in “just” seeing this movie? Visit the Bryn Mawr Film Institute Film Meetup to purchase your tickets.