De Grandes Esperances

Finn nourrit depuis l'enfance une passion pour la peinture et pour la belle Estella, qui se joue pourtant de lui. Les années passent, et lorsqu'Estella disparaît sans crier gare, Finn, désespéré, arrête de peindre et de rêver. C'est alors qu'un mystérieux bienfaiteur vient lui offrir la chance de réaliser ses grandes espérances.

The movie begins with young Finn (Jeremy James Kissner) exploring the beaches of the Gulf Coast of Florida. An escaped convict (Robert De Niro) suddenly pops out of the water and overpowers him, making Finn promise to bring back food and medicine and a bolt cutter to get the iron shanks off his leg next day. Finn does, and the convict unexpectedly tries to make Finn boat him to Mexico. The police sees the small boat heading out to sea. The convict hides on a buoy, and Finn's boat is towed back to shore. The next day, Finn sees on the news that the convict has been caught, and that he was Arthur Lustig, former mobster.

Orphan Phillip "Pip" Pirrip (Anthony Wager) lives with his shrewish older sister and her kind-hearted blacksmith husband, Joe Gargery (Bernard Miles). One day, Pip runs into an escaped convict, Abel Magwitch (Finlay Currie), who intimidates the boy into getting him some food and a file for his chains. Magwitch is caught when he attacks a hated fellow escapee, and is taken back to prison.