This Semester I will be studying the novel Great Expectation's by Charles Dickens. There are many different adaptations of the tale that include very different interpretations of each character. This is a really interesting element of the famous novel as each person has a different portrayal of each character described by Dickens. I will be concentrating on the Make-up and hair mainly but also researching other elements such as the central themes and other aspects.
The novel for me didn't seem that interesting or exciting when I heard that people were finding the book quite hard to get into due to its slow pace however when I started to watch the 2012 release I was surprised at how captivated I was by the film. The narrative and individual characters was made much more clear to me and if anything I feel like I underestimated how interesting a dated film can be.
I preferred the most recent 2012 version of the film rather than the BBC mini-series that aired in 2011. Both were great adaptations of the films but the noticeable difference for me was the opposing interpretations of Miss Havisham. Her character in the film played by Helena Bonham Carter is a much more delirious, unbalanced character. Her actions and emotions are very unpredictable due to her crazed personality. But that's what I loved about her. Her overall costume and makeup was perfectly matched to her demented persona. Every detail right down to her socks were portrayed as aged representing how her she aims to keep everything the exact same from that very day she was left at the alter. Her whole appearance is seen as decayed and tattered mirroring the imitation of her house which has also not been touched, cared or loved for since her wedding day.
On the other hand Gillian Anderson's performance wasn't bad but for me wasn't in any way comparable to Helena Bonham Carters enactment . Anderson's portrayal of the character included all of her well known characteristics like her mood swings, odd behaviour and obvious lack of pride or effort in her personal appearance. However I felt like her costume and makeup particularly lacked her well known quirky, deranged style. Each of Anderson's garments were typically white and ghostly, reinventions of her weddings dress but they weren't effective in my eyes. They didn't look aged or decayed she just looked pretty and youthful if anything with a large amount of visible make-up on like my tutor mentioned. We agreed that her face was made to look to pale, she obviously needed a small amount of white based makeup to add to her ghostly, dead motif however her eyes were noticeably her natural skin colour and her hair was also to perfectly styled in my opinion. Carter's hair resembled a large, uncombed beehive/bush representing her lack of interest or care in her own appearance, in my opinion a more correct portrayal of Miss Havisham.
I was also intrigued by other characters in the film such as Estella and Pip, but Miss Havisham was defiantly one of my favourite characters to watch on-screen. I'm really looking forward to researching the film and characters so I can hopefully get a better understanding of the film itself and how and why its portrayed in this particular style.
Anderson's version.
Unknown, (2011), Unknown [ONLINE]. Available at:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gillian+anderson+miss+havisham&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSYxphCxCo1NgEGgQIBAg9DAsQsIynCBo4CjYIARIQ4gPLA84DSM8DM9ADMsoDNBog9sh5dwiWd1d1hdrKW_1g3Erh4pqpCVM2gtzyfRNiliHsMCxCOrv4IGgoKCAgBEgRMxTkNDA&sa=X&ei=pojdUoXGPMWzhAebk4Ew&ved=0CCkQwg4oAA&biw=1438&bih=684#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=vnNKRFxjLRqETM%253A%3B6W9jT0tzfDy8bM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wvg.com%252Fimg%252Fdvd_b%252F4006448361044_B4.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.wvg.com%252Fceemes2%252F%252Farticle%252Fshow%252F148170%3B2858%3B4287
[Accessed 20 January 14].
Carter's version.
Johan Persson, (2011), Great Expectations, 2011, film shoot, UK, Credit:
Johan Persson [ONLINE]. Available at:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=helena+bonham+carter+great+expectations&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSXRpbCxCo1NgEGgQIAgg9DAsQsIynCBoyCjAIARIK3ATvBIcF8ATJBBog9KtZdweSaWpXbzqyNIhOhZiYyrl2gKmLbCnKyqt9p_1MMCxCOrv4IGgoKCAgBEgSM9WTCDA&sa=X&ei=0ofdUuGiFoyshQfGk4HQAg&ved=0CCkQwg4oAA&biw=1438&bih=684#facrc=_&imgrc=_AD_nb9z6eBUDM%253A%3BGDEe4RcmXuROEM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbloghogwarts.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2011%252F12%252Fhelena-bonham-carter-grandes-esperanzas.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fbloghogwarts.com%252F2011%252F12%252F21%252Fprimeras-fotografias-de-helena-bonham-carter-y-jessie-cave-en-grandes-esperanzas%252Fgreat-expectations-2011%252F%3B3744%3B5616
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