In celebration of Charles Dickens’s bicentenary, MoMA presents a vivid selection of both silent and sound films adapted from the work of this beloved storyteller. Dickens’s highly visual narrative style and vigorous plots have inspired filmmakers throughout the history of cinema. Indeed, many critics and scholars believe his alternating stories, divided by chapters within a single novel, helped seed the idea of cross-cutting and the development of film editing. In addition to favorite American and British movie interpretations of A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, and Oliver Twist, lesser known and rare cinematic adaptations from Canada, Italy, Spain, and the New York underground scene are included.
Organized by Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator, Department of Film; and Adrian Wooton, Codirector, Dickens 2012, and Chief Executive, Film London.