They have no real hope that he will ever be released, and only the efforts of Little Dorrit, plus Mr. Dorrit's shameless habit of playing on the guilt of visitors, allow the family to live in some small comfort. But the picture changes when Arthur Clennam, a decent middle-aged man recently returned from China, takes notice of her. He devotes himself to helping the Dorrit family, and, perhaps, there will be some chance of obtaining the father's release. As in all Dickens' story, this barebone outline just scratches the surface of the myriad subplots and complexities of the story. Underlying the plot is the theme of society's collective guilt for its treatment of its least fortunate.
Nothing is anybody's fault, nobody is to blame, and, by extension, nothing can be done.
By focusing on this message, the film version of Little Dorrit proves just as relevant for today as the novel was for Dickens' time. Little Dorrit works, then, on the levels of a pure entertainment and as a social commentary. But, surprisingly, it also has an interesting third level. The two parts of the film cover substantially the same ground. Many scenes from the first half are partially duplicated in the second.