Having just re-read the book, I thought it the ideal time to view each the two BBC mini-series I have on video to see which came closest to capturing the spirit of the book. It is not this one.
That may seem a harsh judgment, since so much more money has clearly been spent on this than on the 1979 production, and as a result, it is far superior in all the essentials (costumes, sets, cinematography), and inferior only in trifles (the accurate depiction of the characters created by Miss Austen). Since this production is aimed at a mass market, I understand perfectly the need to make gross caricatures of those characters intended to be ridiculed (Mrs Bennet, Lydia, Mr Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh); otherwise, how would people know that they were meant to be ridiculed? And since the key target audience is female, I also understand that the male lead cannot be allowed to appear stuck-up, and so Mr Darcy's initial pride is sensibly converted to a more fashionable cynical disdain.
Unfortunately (given the title of the work) this leads to a deficiency in pride, which the director can only make up by presenting Elizabeth with such overbearing smugness, as to cause the viewer to conclude that Darcy's initial assessment of her as `tolerable' is in fact extremely generous. As with Mr Darcy in the book, Elizabeth becomes much more agreeable after his first proposal to her. Presumably her pride is mortified by the discovery that she has been wrong in her apportionment of blame between Darcy and Whickham, no doubt the first time she has made such a discovery. But she remains essentially a robust 90s chick in Regency garb, pretending to be Elizabeth Bennet. Jennifer Ehle blesses her with such self possession as to make it impossible to believe several of the incidents recorded of her (the she accepts Darcy's invitation to dance at Netherfield against her wishes, because she is so taken aback by it; that she twice allows men to make unwelcome declarations of love to her without interruption until they reach their natural conclusion in proposals of marriage; that she blurts out Lydia's disgrace to Darcy, the last person she wants to know it; and that she is unable to look Darcy in the eye when she tells him that her feelings have changed).
So formidable is this Elizabeth, that is hard to imagine anyone, even her father, having the temerity to address her to her face as `Lizzy'. And whereas in the book, we admire Elizabeth's courage in standing up to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the latter attempts to warn her off Darcy, here we are rather left wondering at Lady Catherine's courage in making the attempt.
The depictions of Mr Bennet and Mr Bingley are excellent, and that of Mr Whickham tolerable. And the film recognisably tells the story of Pride & Prejudice, and so is worth watching. But I prefer the 1979 BBC production.
That may seem a harsh judgment, since so much more money has clearly been spent on this than on the 1979 production, and as a result, it is far superior in all the essentials (costumes, sets, cinematography), and inferior only in trifles (the accurate depiction of the characters created by Miss Austen). Since this production is aimed at a mass market, I understand perfectly the need to make gross caricatures of those characters intended to be ridiculed (Mrs Bennet, Lydia, Mr Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh); otherwise, how would people know that they were meant to be ridiculed? And since the key target audience is female, I also understand that the male lead cannot be allowed to appear stuck-up, and so Mr Darcy's initial pride is sensibly converted to a more fashionable cynical disdain.
Unfortunately (given the title of the work) this leads to a deficiency in pride, which the director can only make up by presenting Elizabeth with such overbearing smugness, as to cause the viewer to conclude that Darcy's initial assessment of her as `tolerable' is in fact extremely generous. As with Mr Darcy in the book, Elizabeth becomes much more agreeable after his first proposal to her. Presumably her pride is mortified by the discovery that she has been wrong in her apportionment of blame between Darcy and Whickham, no doubt the first time she has made such a discovery. But she remains essentially a robust 90s chick in Regency garb, pretending to be Elizabeth Bennet. Jennifer Ehle blesses her with such self possession as to make it impossible to believe several of the incidents recorded of her (the she accepts Darcy's invitation to dance at Netherfield against her wishes, because she is so taken aback by it; that she twice allows men to make unwelcome declarations of love to her without interruption until they reach their natural conclusion in proposals of marriage; that she blurts out Lydia's disgrace to Darcy, the last person she wants to know it; and that she is unable to look Darcy in the eye when she tells him that her feelings have changed).
So formidable is this Elizabeth, that is hard to imagine anyone, even her father, having the temerity to address her to her face as `Lizzy'. And whereas in the book, we admire Elizabeth's courage in standing up to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the latter attempts to warn her off Darcy, here we are rather left wondering at Lady Catherine's courage in making the attempt.
The depictions of Mr Bennet and Mr Bingley are excellent, and that of Mr Whickham tolerable. And the film recognisably tells the story of Pride & Prejudice, and so is worth watching. But I prefer the 1979 BBC production.