The film adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" provides an easy alternative for students who are too lazy to read the Cliff's Notes summary, but does not hold the same weight as the novel on which it was based.
It is the kind of movie couples rent on nights spent at home but seldom finish. Fans of tear-jerking romances (or chick flicks) will rejoice, but everybody else will be wondering where the sex and violence are.
Adapted from Jane Austen's classic novel of the same title, the film stays true to the text but cannot meet up to the literary version.
Many period pieces centering on romance also include a focus on war like "Barry Lyndon" or "Last of the Mohicans," but this film lacks the action plot that commonly accompanies a romantic storyline. It's the kind of movie people want to like but many cannot fully enjoy.
A 21st-century audience might also find it difficult to identify with 18th-century men and women quibbling about arranged aristocratic marriages. Marriage was then a business where young women, pushed by their parents, tried to marry the richest men possible. The bulk of the film concentrates on the five Bennet sisters and their attempts to get hitched.
The main romance puts the spotlight on Elizabeth Bennet (Kiera Knightly of "Pirates of the Caribbean") and Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen of "In My Father's Den"). Elizabeth and her sister Jane are the oldest of the Bennet daughters, but their younger sisters are the ones that already have marriage prospects. Elizabeth does not feel the same rush to get married that her younger siblings do.
When Darcy professes his love for Elizabeth, she rejects him because she claims he is boastful and mean-spirited. The next hour or so flip-flops between Elizabeth's growing love for Darcy while various suitors treat her sisters to an emotional roller coaster ride.
The younger Bennet daughters are scarcely displayed onscreen and have very few lines. When a tragedy or blessing comes their way, the viewer feels nothing but apathy. There is little character development, which leaves the audience feeling indifferent about their romantic situations.
Knightly does an excellent job portraying Elizabeth. Her childlike innocence and confusion are conveyed through her facial expressions and body language.
This movie was also one of MacFadyen's first main roles, but he does a solid job of projecting Darcy's solitude and longing.
Joe Wright makes his major directing debut with "Pride and Prejudice," having only previously worked on several television mini-series and two short films. Despite his lack of experience, Wright deftly constructs the scenes, creating a rustic atmosphere with an intimate feel.
Wright uses stark differences in focus to achieve a separation effect, totally blurring the character in the foreground and focusing on someone in the background, then switching.
The film remains faithful to the novel for the most part, and even includes a cameo of Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet. He portrays a wise old man who wants the best for his daughters and seems less interested in monetary prospects than most other fathers. The use of color coordination and elaborate outdoor sets add to the elegant, historic feel.
The old-fashioned dialogue can be confusing, but is necessary to fully create the 18th-century setting. It's often amusing to hear characters arguing in staunchly proper English rather than today's commonplace profanity.
It seems that many movies produced recently have been based on books, as everything from "Brokeback Mountain" to "Jarhead" has been adapted from literature. Most of these adaptations are done well, but cannot live up to the strength of the original.
The fantastic acting, brilliant colors, well-chosen camera angles and cinematography are all there in "Pride and Prejudice," but the film just isn't compelling enough to hold a modern audience's attention.
