Film Review of High Hopes (1988) by Mike Leigh

High Hopes (1988) by Mike Leigh is an open-ended narrative film that mostly centers around Cyril, a working class motor-cyclist carrier, his girlfriend Shirley, and their relationship with Cyril’s elderly mother and his social-climbing sister. Rather than plot-driven, the film instead acts as a social commentary to London’s class system culture, which is exhibited through each character; because of this, I felt that the movie was too slow-paced for my liking. Unlike other films, the plot does not carry the film into a satisfactory end, where the protagonist finally overcomes the conflict or has an outstanding revelation. This at first annoyed me, but I realized that because of this, I am able to relate and apply the themes of the film into my life more effortlessly.

My favorite part of the film was the character of Shirley, the kind hearted and humorous counterpart to her more fractious boyfriend and his family. Although living in a less than ideal financial situation, Shirley is unconcerned with material goods and status; she is happy with her life with Cyril and brings her positive attitude to every situation, unafraid to joke around even in tense events. On the contrary, Cyril’s sister Valerie has everything she could possibly want, but is instead is shown as the most insincere and unhappiest character of the film. Even though she is financially stable and has access to all the material goods she desires, she is living with an unloving relationship and is constantly battling to rise above her current social status. While the antics were seemingly over exaggerated and highly annoying, I believe that the actress did a phenomenal job depicting Valerie’s selfishness that leads to her constant letdown and misery in her life.

A Look at Great Expectations and High Hopes

The commonalities and differences become apparent when looking at both Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (1861) and Mike Leigh's High Hopes (1988).  The common theme that both artists tend to show primarily throughout their works is the idea of social class. A staple is both pieces, we see the longing and desire that their characters hold in such high regard. We first see it in Great Expectations with Pip who, for most of his life, wishes for upward social mobility. With a stroke of luck, his dreams come true and he is able to get a taste of the wealthier, upper class lifestyle when an anonymous benefactor gives Pip a large sum of money. He finally learns to become a gentleman and begins to have a taste for the finer things in life. However, it does not last forever and Pip soon finds himself down on his luck when past characters in his life reappear. From my perspective, Pip's story is comparable with the Valerie character in the movie High Hopes. The movie does not provide much background on her upbringing but from her behavior you are able to determine that she too longs for the finer things in life. Her demeanor seems to be that of a social climber. We are shown a glimpse of her intentions when she goes to pick her mother up from the mother's next door neighbors home after she is locked out of her own house. Valerie shows up well dressed, pretending to be someone of higher class status than she truly is. However, similar to Pip's, her dreams are too shot down when she is shut out by the neighbors. The differences begin here with Valerie never truly getting the satisfaction she always wanted. Pip on the other hand found love and closure from his past encounters and was able to move on with his life while Valerie never got the chance to. When comparing Great Expectations and High Hopes, the similarities and differences can be obvious and straightforward but there are a few that you have to keep an eye out for.

Woods on Historical Materialism

Throughout the article, Woods describes what it means to be a Marxist while also providing definitions of Marxism, with words from Marx and Engels. In addition, Woods explains the “cause” of history saying that it is nothing but activity of mankind always striving toward goals; however, the perception of history is inevitably influenced by certain “interests of a class or grouping in society.” In short, history is always biased.

He mentions a section on free will where people are not blind puppets particularly but neither are they free to do what they desire. In this same section, Woods includes that mankind makes their own history with whatever existing foundations that have been built already from the past, as opposed to creating their own conditions and circumstances. Furthermore, it is heavily emphasized that the success of a socio-economic system is determined by people’s ability to develop means of production and its forces. With all of these forces working together, society is able to gradually develop.

On another note, the writer includes a comparison between Marx and evolution theorist, Charles Darwin. Like Darwin’s idea that any form of species is always changing, Marx and Engels pose ideas that a social system is also always changing and will not be fixed. However, the article mentions that the theory of evolution is widely accepted as slow and gradual process; yet, the explosive occurrences of war and revolutions are the motor force for historical development.

Toxicity

There are many aspects in both Charles Dickens’ Great Expectationsand Mike Leigh’s cinematic work High Hopes that perpetuate a constant comparison. Leigh and Dickens focus on contemporary society and use their mode of work to comment on the faults. Dickens explores social mobility with Pip, superficially leading the reader to believe that one can move up within the social strata. However, a more poignant aspect of Pip is how he loses himself and his kindness because of his lust for money and acceptance. Joe, who serves as his foil, remains true to Pip and the friendship they cultivated. Pip, on the other hand, abandons Joe in his pursuit of money and Estella thus introducing the idea of money as a poison to society. Similarly, Leigh plays with this idea in the film. He uses siblings Cyril and Valerie to highlight the toxicity of money. Two people with the same upbringing yet only one ends up a vile human. We see this through the treatment of their mother as well as how they handle their day to day. The details of how they achieve meaning are very different in the film and novel, however, both advise the audience against the over consumption of money.

Similarities and Differences in HH and GE

In both Great Expectations and High Hopes, Dickens and Leigh offer similar critiques of British society through the social classes, expectations, and personalities of their characters. One way that the two works are similar is with their critique of blatant wealth accumulation, and the emptiness that money provides. In Great Expectations, a bildungsroman following the life of a young boy, the main character named Pip aspires wealth and status after being born in poverty. He is simply an idealist and his main goals all center around self improvement to achieve his goals. However, after he is given a large fortune and eventually falls into debt, he realizes that money isn't the root of happiness, and that social class has no bearing on self worth or character. Similarly, in High Hopes, we see this theme of social class through the interactions between their different characters. Cyril and Shirley are two low-income socialists that are in a relationship, primarily surviving on Cyrils low wage as a courier. On the other hand, Cyril's sister (Valarie) lives with her husband in a rich neighborhood surrounded by many luxuries. While Leigh does offer critiques on Cyril and Shirley's lifestyle, intimately, the two are portrayed in a friendlier light than Valarie and Martin, who are portrayed as greedy, selfish, and rude individuals. Through their interactions, Leigh was offering a similar sentiment: that money and social status does not define character. As viewers, we are led to identify with and like Cyril and Shirley much more, as they are depicted as kinder and more willing to help their fellow man. These character traits, in relation to income and social status, serve to illustrate the trappings of wealth, and the immoral behavior money can bring.

On the other hand, there are many key differences between the two works. One main difference is through the overall tone present. Great Expectations is a rollercoaster ride of great heights and low falls, ending with our protagonist's arc completed, and with Estelle back in his life. Overall, the book shows his growth as a person, and ends with a satisfying conclusion to his character. High Hopes offers none of this. There is little character development, and instead of fleshed out characters, the people in the movie serve as caricatures for certain societal tropes: the disdainful old woman, the passionate, lazy, and scornful socialist, and the snobbish yuppie. The movie doesn't seem to want to tell a classic narrative, Leigh's goal was to hold a mirror up to modern society, and have us examine where we fit in in this world. While the title of the movie offers a comparison to Great Expectation, the way these themes are explored are indeed very different. 

Great Expectations vs. High Hopes

Besides the obvious parallels between their titles, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and Mike Leigh’s High Hopes (1988) have a lot in common in their thematic developments. One interesting commonality I’ve seen in both the film and the novel is Great Expectations’ Pip is loosely represented in both Cyril and Valerie's characters.

Analyzing Valerie's character, she represents what Pip could have been if he would have not become happy in living modestly. Not satisfied with her working-class upbringing, she is constantly yearning to live the “perfect” upper-class life. She feeds her obsession by buying material things and comparing her life to that of her mother’s wealthy neighbors’ Rupert and Laetitia.  Even though Valerie has married a man who seems to make a lot of money, she never seems satisfied.

With that being said, Pip’s enlightening moment is portrayed through Cyril. At the end of the novel, Pip comes to realize that money and status is not all there is to life, much like Cyril has. Unlike his sister, Cyril has come to terms with his working-class status and is happy with his current life and relationship with Shirley. Pip comes to the same terms and ends the novel content with a modest way of life. Valerie ends the film still miserable as ever by showing the audience what Pip could have been if superficiality and greed would have overtaken his life.

High Expectations and Great Hopes

     The film High Hopes by Mike Leigh can be interpreted as having drawn inspiration from the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens not only in name, but in spirit and narrative as well.
     High Hopes has many themes that Leigh artfully weaves together. The distinction between classes and class interaction being first and foremost, the movie also invites the viewer to ponder the meaning of family, as well as abuse. Leigh's characters are all in very distinct separate roles and classes. Cyril and Shirley, who serve as the moral ground and relatable characters, are clearly depicted as working class, making ends meet but not ascending or climbing the social ladder in any way. Valerie, Cyril's sister, is diametrically opposed to his personality, and to a certain extent his way of life. Valerie and her husband are devoted to climbing the social ranks and in doing so shun certain virtues that those "below them" seem to commit to naturally. Examples of this include making sure that the mother is warm, comfortable, or simply spending time caring for her. Finally, the haughty neighbors are caricatures that are meant to embody the snobbery of the nouveau riche. Each class "has their place" that, once deviated from, the upper classes endeavor to restore. The mother of Cyril is locked out of her house and then, with great effort and disdain from the neighbors and daughter, finally "put back" into her council home. a symbol of poverty and lower class.
     Although the main cast of characters largely hails from one family, the differences in lifestyles tends to spread cracks throughout their foundation. The relationship between brother and sister and mother and daughter is splintered because of different expectations of life. Living free versus living lavishly proving to be the center of conflict. Abuse between classes isn't the only focus here though, as we see Valerie abuse her mother several times. In this way, the abuse is metered out by someone who isn't in control of their life, finances, or love. Because they aren't in control, they seek control over something they know they can overpower, something that they feel couldn't survive without their attention.
     Great Expectations also carries the same themes as class difference, family, and abuse, yet instead of using a handful of different characters to portray the different struggles, the conflict is largely centered in the growth and interactions of one character, Pip, with the world. Pip begins as working class, poor and uneducated yet upon gaining wealth and prestige, tends to shun his family and upbringing. Not only does this highlight the class difference, but it shows how the move between classes can affect someone. Later in the novel, as Pip has his metaphorical fall from grace, he seeks redemption and recompense for his past sins and transgressions. Pip gains an understanding of some virtues that he hadn't thought of as natural before, and in doing so makes peace with who he is and what he feels is right.
    In terms of abuse, High Hopes mirrors Great Expectations and the situation of Mrs. Joe with Valerie. Both feel that they must be in control of something, to give their life meaning as they spiral further down. Mrs. Joe turns to using Joe and Pip as punching bags for her frustration and anger, while Valerie takes her pains out on her mother. Both are seen/heard to say something akin to "You should be grateful for all that I do for you". Mainly both characters serve to highlight the effects of abuse and the toll that can take on a family. Wayne in the beginning of High Hopes also appears to mirror Pip's experience in that Pip was sent away to somehow achieve success or learn something. The difference here being that Wayne was wholly unsuccessful and ended up returning home rather than live a high society life, however brief.
     High Hopes lacks a true ending while Great Expectations has two, as such, Great Expectations can seem more satisfying to the average person, however, both works elegantly combine their themes to produce a thought-provoking commentary on class and relationships.