Great Expectations: The Untold Story on AllMovie

There's a good reason why this story has remained untold -- and why Charles Dickens didn't bother telling it in the first place. You will recall that, in the original Great Expectations, escaped convict Magwitch, out of gratitude for the kindnesses extended to him by young Pip, secretly funded the boy's matriculation into the upper classes. This Australian speculative drama shows us what Dickens left out: that Magwitch managed to himself rise to gentleman status while accumulating a fortune in Australia under an assumed name. John Stanton does what he can with the character of Magwitch, while Tim Burstall directs this ill-conceived project with the courage of desperation. Also, the location photography is nice.