The story focuses on the character of Pip, a young boy who seeks betterment and yearns to one day become a 'gentleman', rather than a labouring blacksmith. He begins visiting an eccentric woman known as Miss Havisham, a wealthy lady who remains in her mansion and hasn't seen the light of day since before Pip and has a remained in her wedding dress since she was jilted at the alter. Miss Havisham requests for Pip to play in her presence, often accompanied by Estella, Miss Havisham's adoptive daughter who treats Pip with cold disregard. These visits eventually come to an end and Pips dreams are granted when a mysterious benefactor, whom Pip believes to be Miss Havisham, gifts a large sum of property to him. At the benefactors request, Pip ventures to London to begin his studies to become a gentleman. He maintains an acquaintance with Estella whom he adores and believes is Miss Havisham's intention for them to be wed.
However, all is not as it seems and Pips 'Great Expectations' take a harsh demotion in light of the reappearance of an unwelcome character who reveals oneself as Pips benefactor. Pip is also made privy to the fact that he was never intended for Estella, whom has agreed to marry another man, Pip's rival. It is revealed that Estella has been taught to use men for the sole purpose of exacting revenge for her mothers past betrayal and feels she is incapable of love.
For this body of work I will be focusing on the concept of 'Gothic' and the characters Miss Havisham and Estella who I will both be creating a look for appropriate towards a selected motion media format.
The Character I will be focusing on first is Miss Havisham, So I decided to look at adaptations of the novel in order to see how various Miss Havisham's have been portrayed.
BBC TV Adaptation (2011)
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| Movie still from Great Expectations (2011) Gillian Anderson as Miss Havisham http://kpitalrisk.free.fr/images/stars/16000/s_martita.jpg |
In the 2011 BBC adaptation of Great Expecations the character of Miss Havisham was portrayed by Gillian Anderson. There are elements of this portrayal I both admire and dislike. I respect how Miss Havisham is portrayed by a fairly young actress, as I find it to be a fairly accurate depiction considering Miss Havisham at the time she met Pip would have roughly in her late 30's, early 40s. Gillian Anderson, 43, is in fact the youngest actress to play this role. I like how a reasonably accurate actress has been used in terms of age but signs of neglect and perhaps premature ageing have used for example, the chapping of the lips, the way her complexion appears incredibly pale and sallow and the fact her hair is completely white. on the other hand, I find Gillian Anderson's performance in this role to have a little too much energy, where I consider Miss Havisham to be a frail, ill-natured woman.
West End Stage Production (2013)
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| Photograph from Great Expectations, The West End Production (2013) Paula Wilcox as Miss Havisham http://www.greatexpectationstheplay.com/gallery.php |
This rendition of the character Miss Havisham is by far my favourite. The Make up and Hair is very exaggerated to make it suitable for the theatre. I adore the strong contouring of the face to suggest a sullen, sunken in complexion caused perhaps by malnourishment and lack of sunlight. I equally adore the use of a matte black lip, which I feel also exudes a notion of decay which I find extremely intriguing and quite menacing, which I think is exactly how Miss Havisham should be perceived by her audience. I equally feel the shadowing round the eyes gives a a very dark and miserable feel to the look and suggests a less than stable state of mind and body.
Film Adaptation (1946)
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| Movie still from Great Expectations (1946) Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham http://kpitalrisk.free.fr/images/stars/16000/s_martita.jpg |
In the 1946 black and white film, Argentinian born actress Martita Hunt was cast in the role of Miss Havisham. The aspect of this representation I find most alluring is the hair styling, I find the hair looks as if it truly has been in the same style for several years and has gradually become matted and loose over time. I love how it gives the character a slight air of 'batty-ness' but not too much as to sway the audience in to viewing solely in one light. I personally Martita's make up styling to be quite youthful in comparison to some of the other portrayals, her skin hasn't been drastically aged or weathered and her contouring is very faint. I almost find her complexion to be too perfect for someone who has been locked up in the same room for years on end.
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