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Jul 17, 2017ba_library rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This DVD is based on the novel by Lloyd Jones. I read the book when it first came out (2008) and found it intriguing, beautiful and somewhat confusing. The story centers on a man who teaches on a remote Pacific Island. He starts his lessons by reading a chapter from Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations. The film version of the book is also intriguing, beautiful and somewhat confusing. It juxtaposes Pip and his story in Great Expectations with life on the Pacific Island which is stuck in a conflict zone because of industrial copper mining. The film is quite grim near the end, and moves very slowly, but the continuing contrast between reality and fantasy, beauty and hostility, black and white adds to the intrigue. A creative story that blends nuances giving the book and the film thoughtful, reflective, creative expression.