Pride & Prejudice
A film by Joe Wright - now on DVD
(Focus Features)
Jane Austen and I fell in love during my senior year of high school. It was somewhere in the middle of Pride & Prejudice, actually, when I decided we were going to be together; and while - as in most relationships - that sentiment didn't hold entirely true, I have still reread Austen's novel many a time. So, of course I was excited to see this latest film version.
And, unlike most adaptations of a beloved novel, I enjoyed it. Director Joe Wright has successfully made Pride & Prejudice a world accessible not just to the pithy cult of Austen, but to the masses. Though Austen's irony and verbal witticisms are ever present, her early 19th century language has been adapted more in the flavor of this era's dialogue. This is not to say that they have splattered the text with exclamations of "dude" and "holla!"; rather there are no "prithees" to be heard, nor the much loved "alas," thus creating a sense of present-day immediacy without interfering with the story's heart. For filmmaking in general, Wright's Pride is also a triumph. His camera glides expertly through the ball scenes, exploring and lingering among dancers; snatches of conversations are overheard as if one was really there in the room, and oftentimes the viewer might find themselves inching slowly forward in their seat with the excitement Wright brings to these potentially dull scenes. Wright is also no stranger to pure artistic beauty: when the camera itself has not become a character, more often than not it becomes a frame for breathtaking portraits of Elizabeth Bennet (Pirates of the Caribbean's Keira Knightley) and Fitzwilliam (a.k.a. Mr.) Darcy (Matthew MacFayden).
As for the actors within the frames, MacFayden's Darcy in particular is more than just aesthetically appealing. Thanks to this relatively unknown leading man, as well as screenwriter Deborah Moggach, his character's subtle evolution from a gruff, dislikable, arrogant stereotype to a complicated, socially awkward man with a deference to society is marvelously done. One should also not forget Knightley's already much-lauded, effortless portrayal of Elizabeth...though at the same time, one gets the sense that Knightley was simply born to play roles occurring in the romanticized past; she could have phoned this one in and it still would have been perfect.
Admittedly, Austen purists and Colin Firth worshippers should stick with the five hour BBC original. Elizabeth's younger sisters, Kitty (Carey Mulligan) and Lydia (a convincingly young-looking Jena Malone), are nowhere near as formed as they were in the original novel - though enough of their characters is present to set up the rift-inducing dichotomy between the older and younger Bennet siblings. But what will incur the most wrath is the American ending, a sentimental scene involving Darcy and Elizabeth sharing a romantic moment at his chateau. This may be worth seeing, simply because Wright's paintbrush camera turns the world into a gold and navy marvel. But Austen purists will hate the fact that the two dare kiss on screen. It's a sentimental plea to American romantic film sensibilities that will enrage those who so love the subtlety within Austen's works. Still, for those who can overlook this and rent the movie with an open mind: jump in your carriages, make sure your gloves are clean, and enjoy Pride & Prejudice.
[In reference to the DVD's special features, they were mostly a disappointment to the Pride & Prejudice fan. Several of the features shared the same material, so while the actor's thoughts were interesting, they became rather tedious after the second or third sharing of the same idea. Also disappointing is the fact that the American version of this DVD once again failed to acknowledge that there was more than one ending for the film. It would have been nice to be able to finally compare and contrast the emotional American ending with the more Austenesque English ending, but perhaps there'll be a special edition in the works with more worthy features. For now, c'est la vie.]
Official Site
IMDb Listing
Buy It
on Amazon
See Also: a version of Pride & Prejudice you may never have imagined
(Focus Features)
Jane Austen and I fell in love during my senior year of high school. It was somewhere in the middle of Pride & Prejudice, actually, when I decided we were going to be together; and while - as in most relationships - that sentiment didn't hold entirely true, I have still reread Austen's novel many a time. So, of course I was excited to see this latest film version.And, unlike most adaptations of a beloved novel, I enjoyed it. Director Joe Wright has successfully made Pride & Prejudice a world accessible not just to the pithy cult of Austen, but to the masses. Though Austen's irony and verbal witticisms are ever present, her early 19th century language has been adapted more in the flavor of this era's dialogue. This is not to say that they have splattered the text with exclamations of "dude" and "holla!"; rather there are no "prithees" to be heard, nor the much loved "alas," thus creating a sense of present-day immediacy without interfering with the story's heart. For filmmaking in general, Wright's Pride is also a triumph. His camera glides expertly through the ball scenes, exploring and lingering among dancers; snatches of conversations are overheard as if one was really there in the room, and oftentimes the viewer might find themselves inching slowly forward in their seat with the excitement Wright brings to these potentially dull scenes. Wright is also no stranger to pure artistic beauty: when the camera itself has not become a character, more often than not it becomes a frame for breathtaking portraits of Elizabeth Bennet (Pirates of the Caribbean's Keira Knightley) and Fitzwilliam (a.k.a. Mr.) Darcy (Matthew MacFayden).
As for the actors within the frames, MacFayden's Darcy in particular is more than just aesthetically appealing. Thanks to this relatively unknown leading man, as well as screenwriter Deborah Moggach, his character's subtle evolution from a gruff, dislikable, arrogant stereotype to a complicated, socially awkward man with a deference to society is marvelously done. One should also not forget Knightley's already much-lauded, effortless portrayal of Elizabeth...though at the same time, one gets the sense that Knightley was simply born to play roles occurring in the romanticized past; she could have phoned this one in and it still would have been perfect.
Admittedly, Austen purists and Colin Firth worshippers should stick with the five hour BBC original. Elizabeth's younger sisters, Kitty (Carey Mulligan) and Lydia (a convincingly young-looking Jena Malone), are nowhere near as formed as they were in the original novel - though enough of their characters is present to set up the rift-inducing dichotomy between the older and younger Bennet siblings. But what will incur the most wrath is the American ending, a sentimental scene involving Darcy and Elizabeth sharing a romantic moment at his chateau. This may be worth seeing, simply because Wright's paintbrush camera turns the world into a gold and navy marvel. But Austen purists will hate the fact that the two dare kiss on screen. It's a sentimental plea to American romantic film sensibilities that will enrage those who so love the subtlety within Austen's works. Still, for those who can overlook this and rent the movie with an open mind: jump in your carriages, make sure your gloves are clean, and enjoy Pride & Prejudice.
[In reference to the DVD's special features, they were mostly a disappointment to the Pride & Prejudice fan. Several of the features shared the same material, so while the actor's thoughts were interesting, they became rather tedious after the second or third sharing of the same idea. Also disappointing is the fact that the American version of this DVD once again failed to acknowledge that there was more than one ending for the film. It would have been nice to be able to finally compare and contrast the emotional American ending with the more Austenesque English ending, but perhaps there'll be a special edition in the works with more worthy features. For now, c'est la vie.]
Official Site
IMDb Listing
Buy It
on AmazonSee Also: a version of Pride & Prejudice you may never have imagined
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