TV and Film Portrayals.

Miss Havisham has been portrayed many times over the years, in this post I will be looking at some of them, to see how effective they have been.

Florence Reed - Great Expectations 1934.

Directed by Stuart Walker, this film stars mostly American actors. It was not received greatly, and has been considered inferior to the 1946 version, directed by David Lean and made in England. Miss Havisham does not wear her veil at all times like in the novel, and her death is of natural causes, rather than the fiery suicide. I feel this is why the film was not greatly received, as these two small aspects are very important to the film. Also, using mostly American actors would lose the feel of the film as it is specifically set in London, England. The makeup artist has accentuated the lines of her face, which is most likely using theatrical makeup techniques, rather than TV. She is not wearing a white gown which is described in the book, and does not particularly look too withered and ghostly.

(Wikipedia (online), 'Great Expectations (1934) [viewed on 30th January] available from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(1934_film))

Martita Hunt - Great Expectations 1946
Daily Mail

Directed by David Lean, this film won two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, and was nominated for three others, Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It was received greatly, making it the third most popular box office in 1947. The makeup artist, hair stylist and costume designer have managed to accurately render Miss Havisham according to Charles Dickens novel, making her pale and ghostly, as well as portraying a sense of manic, especially through the hair and the costume. 

(Wikipedia (online), 'Great Expectations 1946' [viewed 30th January 2015] available from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(1946_film))

Margaret Leighton - Great Expectations 1974
Telegraph

This remake of Great Expectations was a film for television in the US, and TV for England, directed by Joseph Hardy. Unlike the previous two portrayals before it, the film used the same actress, Sarah Miles, to portray both young Estella, and old. This proved more difficult for the makeup artists, but the film was received well. Critic Brian McFarlane, who has studied all remakes and portrayals of Great Expectations, says of Leighton's work: ' there is a potent sense of the perverse pleasure she takes in watching Estella humiliate Pip, and , during a later visit, of real cruelty in her telling him, 'You've lost her'. Leighton injected 'a necessary bitterness into these scenes'. The makeup is clearing that of theatrical style, with the eyes hollowed out, and the face looking extremely skeletal. Her wrinkles have been enhanced, and the makeup is quite extreme, which enhances the eccentric style of Miss Havisham.

(Wikipedia (online), 'Great Expectations 1974' [viewed 30th January], available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(1974_film))

Joan Hickson - Great Expectations Mini Series 1981
Telegraph

This TV Mini Series for the BBC stars Joan Hickson as Miss Havisham, and directed by Julian Amyes. Joan Hickson is renowned for her acting as none other than Miss Marple, and has starred in 12 Marple films. The hairstyle of this portrayal immediately caught my eye, as her hair is in tight curls that finish at the chin, a mid-bun and centre parting. Although it is extremely messy, I can tell that the film is set in the mid-late Victorian Era, as the hairstyles become looser towards the end. The hairstyle wold have been done in the early Victorian era, and not touched for the many years she has mourned her fiancé jilting her.

(IMDB, 'Great Expectations 1981', (online), [viewed 30th January], available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196254/)

Jean Simmons - Great Expectations 1989
Telegraph

Directed by Kevin Connor, this ITV mini series was shown on TV in Britain in 1991, whilst previously being aired in America in 1989. As a 5 part mini series, this allowed the director to go more in depth with Dickens' story, leading it to be more understandable, and characters to be analysed. Jean Simmons had previously played the young Estella in the 1946 movie, which to me, shows that this story is close to her heart. The makeup artist has enhanced her wrinkles and created a pale complexion whilst the hair stylist has frizzed her hair, portraying the manic nature of this woman. 

(Wikipedia, 'Great Expectations 1989', (online) [viewed 30th January 2015] available from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(miniseries))

Anne Bancroft - Mrs. Dinsmoor - Great Expectations 1998
Telegraph

This contemporary film adaptation of Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The time period of this film is set in the 1990's New York. The film was received with mixed reviews, some people praising Cuaron's work, whilst some thought it was too far from the real storyline. Bancroft portrayed a much more quirkier character, with eccentric clothing and jewelerry; a Miss Havisham without her desperate sadness. The makeup artist has used bold makeup to make the look contemporary. If a viewer did not know that this was a contemporary remake of the film, I don't believe it would be easy to relate her character to Miss Havisham.

(IMDB (online), Great Expectations 1998, [viewed 30th January], available from:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119223/)

Charlotte Rampling - Great Expectations 1999
Fark

This adaptation of Great Expectations was a BAFTA Award-Winning television film directed by Julian Jarrold. It won the BAFTA for Best Costume Design, but came close to winning Best Design, Best Makeup/Hair Design, Best Photography/Lighting and Best Sound. Rampling's hair and makeup are neat, and simple, with the costume adding a more aged effect.

(Wikipedia, Great Expectations 1999, (online) [viewed 30th January 2015], available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(1999_film))

Gillan Anderson - Great Expectations 2011
Telegraph

This three-part BBC Drama directed by Brian Kirk is my personal favourite out of all of the adaptations made. It has received four Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and was received greatly by many. The makeup artist and costume designer for me has created the Miss Havisham that I had created in my own mind, and very close to the novel. Her skin is porcelain, he hair is white, her eyes are sunken into her skull, the only colour in her face is her blue lips. She decays more and more throughout the film, her skin dries, curls fall out and the cuts on her hand from where she is scratching get worse and worse. The makeup artist I feel targeted contemporary ideas about the body, especially her lack of nutrition, which is shown through the health of her skin. The psychological damage that Miss Havisham has been target of has manifested itself in physical ways. 

Helena Bonham-Carter - Great Expectations 2012
Telegraph

This adaptation, directed by Mike Newell, stars Helena Bonham-Carter as Miss Havisham, alongside Jeremy Irvine as Pip. The makeup for Helena is pale and focuses on aging her face, although it is not as extreme as past portrayals. The hair, on the other hand, is crazy and frizzed, the ringlets have dropped out during her time mourning. This is a typical look for Helena Bonham-Carter, as many roles she has played are similar to this one. 

(Wikipedia, (online), 'Great Expectations 2012' [viewed 30th January 2015] available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations_(2012_film)#Release)