Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

"You bewitch me body and soul," says Mr Darcy, chest heaving.

That was the final straw.

No, I did not like the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley.

The Bennetts are portrayed as a working class family. In fact, they are landed gentry, "poor" only in relation to the Bingleys and the Darcys. Mrs Bennett's anxiety over her daughter's future is to do with the fact that their father's property must be inherited by a male relative. It's a common problem of the time. Otherwise, the family lives comfortably and hold a respected position in society.

Elizabeth Bennett would never traipse around her father's estate barefoot! Or kiss Mr Darcy's hand ... no matter how much she's bewitched his body!

People of the time were strictly bound by rules of propriety. A respectable man would never have entered a respectable woman's bed chamber. And so, Charles Bingley would never have enter Jane's bedroom, as he does when she is ill at Netherfield.

I dread to think how Hollywood will portray Austen herself. Anne Hathaway plays the author in Becoming Jane (out in August)

Over in the UK, ITV will screen new adaptations of Persuasion, Mansfield Park (starring Billie Piper!) and Northanger Abbey. The station will also be re-running their 1996 production of Emma, starring Kate Beckinsale, who, in my opinion, is much more believable than Gwyneth Paltrow was in this role. (Samantha Morton is also a better Harriett than Toni Collett. Harriet is supposed to be beeeutifool, for crying out loud! But I guess Paltrow''s contract stated that she could be the only cute one in the film.)

British television has, so far, done a tolerable job of adapting Austen novels, although, in the 1983 miniseries of Mansfield Park, Sylvestra Le Touzel played Fanny Price like she had learning difficulties.

My favourite adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is the 1980 BBC miniseries, starring Elizabeth Garvie as Lizzie and David Rintoul as Darcy.

I daresay Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice will not be the last adaptation. I'm also pretty sure that it won't be the worst.

At very least, the fact that Austen's novels continue to be turned into movies (good and bad) means that she continues to be loved and read. Germaine Greer's article in the Guardian Unlimited talks about the secret to the novelist's staying power.

I should have curled up with Persuasion rather than sit through Knightley's performance as Lizzie. In Mr Hurst's words, it was a "damned silly way to spend an evening".

PS Apparently, Pride and Prejudice (the movie) ends differently for American audiences. In their version Mr Darcy kisses Lizzie repeatedly while murmuring "Mrs Darcy, Mrs Darcy, Mrs Darcy." I'm so glad my DVD does not end with this scene!

Comments

[Lady Skyfire]

I liked it. *dodges rotten tomatoes*

Seriously - it wasn't on par with the book, but what movie ever really is? As a student of film and multimedia, it has become clear to me that film must necessarily alter and take shortcuts to preserve the viability of the story's adaptation from print to screen. The story will never be entirely the same, and you will never be entirely satisfied, but it was a reasonable fascimilie for a two hour presentation of such a complicated work. If every nicety described in the book were communicated visually in the movie, the thing would have been longer than all three volumes of the extended versions of Lord of the Rings.

The trouble with the literarilly inclined (is that a word?) is the penchant for nit-picking over said literature (I can say this because I am guilty of it myself). The movie was excellent - excellent use of viusal metaphor, especially, in my opinion, the dance scene between Darcy and Elizabeth, the scene in the gallery at Pemberly. Portraying Elizabeth as a bit of a tomboy, walking around barefoot, sitting under the benches in at the assembly with Charlotte and generally acting shrewish were a device to set her apart from her sisters and society in general, because movies are designed for the enjoyment of all, not just those who know and love the book. Likewise, Darcy's portrayal as more shy than proud was to the same effect. It would take too long to establish the intricacies of their characters otherwise, excepting by the use of an omnicient narrator, and that is, in modern film, almost unsupportable excepting in cases where it is used as a matter of parody or hyperbole (it certainly wouldn't have garnered any Oscar nominations that way!)

It was a good movie, very well written and performed. If it helps, think of the movie and the book as two separate stories of the same name and be done with it, because that is essentially what they are.

[Col]

I really disliked the 2005 P&P too, but I liked the 83 Mansfield Park. If you get a chance to see the 2007 ITV one with Billie Piper you will be horrified till your toes curl, and forgive Sylvestra le Touzel her more stilted representation of Fanny Price. It was appalling from start to finish.

[Subashini]

Yes, the movie was a travesty. I am so glad so many people hated it, especially ones who have been reading and appreciating Jane Austen for a long time. Everything about it was trite and insipid and just contrary to the spirit of Austen's novel that I wanted to hurl something at the TV, but fell asleep on the couch with my mouth open instead. ;)

[Hsian]

"Sylvestra Le Touzel played Fanny Price like she had learning difficulties" ha ha ha

[Daphne]

Hi Lia!

I've seen the version with Ehle and I like it although I am not keen on Firth. Still, at least it was accurate, down to the curvy women!! Hee hee

See you tonight!! We can talk Austen. She's a great favourite of mine too so I'm looking forward to chatting abt her!

[Lia]

I HATED HATED HATED this film. Having seen so many great adaptations (and Austen being one of my fav writers of all time), esp the one with COlin Firth and Jenifer Ehle (that you MUST SEE), I just got angry and annoyed with the film, I barely could get thru it. I couldnt stand the interpretation, there was no chemistry btwn the lot. KK kept yelling (or so it seemed). And she was too bloody thin (but thats another story hehehe). Women in those days were curvy! Bloody oscar nomination my.. U&#@*@@( (can u tell I hated the film HAHAA).

ok, takes a deep breath.. I have vented my spleen now :)

glad I cant be the only one who couldnt tolerate the film..