Pride and Prejudice (2005)

The expectation: I thought that we would do a hat trick of romantic flicks today since I rewatched this film yesterday. I will start with this- I am a Jane Austen fan. She may be dry to read at times in our contemporary context, she may describe every single detail in a room entered by a character, and her writing may come off as inundated with feminine perspective, but I think that her tales, once examined, are scathingly hysterical for gender studies. But of course, that takes tremendous focus. I try to remember the context of the times in which she was writing and that makes it all a bit more accessible for me (and the people I know). But, alas, not everyone likes Austen and that I have come to accept. What I cannot understand is the recent insertion of Jane Austen into contemporary pop culture narratives. I think that these new 'revisionist' takes on Austen- tales of how she is interpreted- make her accessible at a cost. She is no longer appreciated for her work, but stygmatized for her romantic themes, her costumed characters, her description of china, etc. So, taking all of this into account, I was not sure what to expect from this film. On the one hand, I love her writing, even if it is a bit stretched, and thus, I love the 1995 British version told in 6 hours. But, it is 6 hours and not a lot of people want to watch that. So, the tension is now between authenticity and accessibility.

The result:
The pace of this film is exactly what it should be. It moves slowly, as Austen's world would have, and it tells all that you need to know while focusing on the environment- rural countrysides, decorated mansions, domestic spaces, and country entertainments. Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet is breathtaking, and Matthew Mcfayden, although he sometimes seems a little bored, plays a fitting Mr. Darcy. The true gem of this film is the filmmaking itself. Director Joe Wright wields a camera as if he were a true artist, framing shots that take advantage of every corner and of natural light and settings. He orchestrates the most beautiful long shots that I have seen- and they fully capture Austen's gendered confinement to domestic spaces. All of the supporting characters are just as they should be- settling into their roles. Overall, the film does justice to Austen, retaining its core while stripping the story down into a format that we can all enjoy in our modern context. For some reason, I feel that it is a more healthy and productive fantasy- to be wooed by a story that we cannot be a part of- from a time period that we cannot have back. Does this give us a healthy outlet for our romantic projections? I like to think so.

What to look out for:
Those beautiful long shots- Joe Wright is a genius- they take a lot of work to set up and film correctly.
Although the costumes are not really what they should be according to the time period's fashions, they are beautiful. Pay attention to the colors.
Austen's subtle wittiness. You have to really focus but her dialogue can be incredibly hilarious.

Flickr photo by Ben Sutherland