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Tuesday, 01 August 2006 |
  Why on earth do studios keep greenlighting endless remakes, sequels, blatant rip-offs and the twelfth film adaptation of some classic novel? Mostly because they are looking for easy money and don't want to bother coming up with an actual idea. Every once in a while, maybe once a year, one of these movies is done so well it earns its own place and the privilege of being made. 2003 saw the surprisingly decent remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (and I don't like slasher movies, so that is saying a lot), 2004 brought the fabulous remake of Dawn of the Dead, but 2005 was the greatest treat of all with the stunningly beautiful adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice by first time director Joe Wright.
None of the stories by the classic British female authors of the nineteenth century is all that surprising. Once you know a few of them, it is fairly obvious what general direction the story is going to take from early on. At that time and place, women were not permitted to have occupations, at least "decent" women weren't. On top of that, they were also not permitted to inherit wealth. When a father died, his entire estate went to his oldest living son. This wasn't just habit, it was the law. So, the primary obsession of any woman of substance (teenage girls, really) was finding a profitable marriage. When a family has five daughters and no sons, it is of particular concern, since it is predetermined that anything the family possesses will be lost at some point, without a male heir to pass it on to.
Such is the case for the Bennet family. Mr. Bennett (Donald Sutherland) somehow manages to be unconcerned with the situation, possibly because his wife (Brenda Blethyn) is consumed with it 24 hours a day. The Bennets face the prospect of being thrown out of their house due to the stringent laws of inheritance of the time and their one true savior may be their oldest daughter Jane (Rosamund Pike), a quiet, well mannered beauty who is certain to marry well. Their next eldest daughter, Lizzie (Keira Knightley) is less promising, at least as far as mother is concerned. Lizzie is not so outwardly beautiful as Jane, but her biggest problem is that she is opinionated, stubborn and does not shy away from expressing her thoughts. None of which are popular qualities in late 18th century British society. The two youngest daughters, Lydia and Kitty (Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan) seem destined to embarrass the family with their exuberant search of a wealthy marriage. Finally, there is the textbook, lost in the middle third daughter, Mary (an irresistibly cute Talulah Riley), who unobtrusively moves through life, seeming to have lost all hope of drawing any attention away from her more exuberant sisters.
The greatest excitement in the Bennet house is the renting of a local estate by the wealthy, young and single Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) who simply must marry a Bennet daughter. Jane, being the oldest and the beauty of the family, is the obvious choice. Living with Bingley are his friend, the even more wealthy Mr Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) and Bingley's sister Caroline (Kelly Reilly), who has life long designs on Darcy. During a ball (basically a regular "let's get hitched" event), Jane and Bingley meet, and Bingley is instantly hooked. There is also an instant, mutual attraction between Lizzie and Darcy, but they are both too proud to be so open about it as the other couple is. From that point, like any great adaptation of classic literature, it is not so much about what happens as experiencing what happens.
What sets Pride & Prejudice apart from so many lesser literary adaptations is its profound love for the story and characters. Even the opening credits are beautiful, as the sun rises from behind a row of trees to reveal the title of the film. It is small touches, such as Lizzie walking through a field, reading a book, giving a slight sigh, closing the book and running her hand over the leather cover. It is how Lizzie resolutely walks across a bridge, fully expecting, without the slightest hesitation, the geese on it to get out of her way. It is the long, complex, fluidly shot scenes, such as the early one which moves throughout the Bennet house, revealing every detail and family member in one long, elegant motion.
Ultimately Pride & Prejudice is Lizzie's story, and it is her character who possesses the most depth. Unlike other "headstrong" characters, Lizzie spends a great deal of time contemplating her actions and questioning her motives. She sits spinning in a rope swing for hours, through seasons, thinking through everything she has said and done. Not just looking for justification, but truly contemplating. This leads to one of the most stunning scenes in the film when, during a visit to see her friend Charlotte (Claudie Blakley), she stands at a mirror as the sun goes down and one character enters, reveals critical information to her, and leaves. It's stunning how the camera seems to caress its surroundings at every moment. It goes far beyond "pretty pictures". The visuals are like a living entity.
So much is simply right with Pride & Prejudice I feel I could write about it all day, but what is the point? Better to watch it and soak in its grandeur and spectacle than read about it. No, it isn't the complete novel and it is significantly shorter than the 1993, 5 hour behemoth from the BBC. So what. There is genuine skill in distilling a classic work into 120 minutes, and this one is completely successful. If you want a complete representation of the novel, read the novel. What we have here is a lighthearted, slightly modernized adaptation. One truly worthy to carry the name of the original.
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Talulah Riley, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Simon Woods, Kelly Reilly, Rupert Friend, Tom Hollander, Judi Dench
Director: Joe Wright
Written by: Jane Austen (Novel); Deborah Moggach (Screenplay)
Cinematographer: Roman Oshin
Studio: Focus Features
Rated: PG
Running Time: 127 mins
Release: 2005
Reviewer: John Rice
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