Pride & Prejudice: Movie & DVD Review

(Originally published 2005)

In spite of all signs pointing to the contrary, we still haven't seen it all when it comes to Jane Austen's much-adapted 1813 book, "Pride and Prejudice." Apparently, it's the book whose influence just won't die.

Its last incarnation was in India's over-the-top 2004 interpretation, "Bride and Prejudice: The Bollywood Musical," and before that in the contemporary retelling of the "Bridget Jones" movies.

There have been other adaptations, stretching back most notably to the 1940 version with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, as well as to the excellent 1995 BBC mini-series, which turned Colin Firth into a literary pin-up boy and was as faithful to the book as anyone could have hoped.But now we have a new "Prejudice" and it's fantastic.

As directed by Joe Wright from Deborah Moggach's script, the film is a reimagining of the tale, specifically in how it views the main character, Elizabeth Bennet.

No longer is she a common face among the Bennet household--far from it. Now, as played with deep reserves of pluck, depth, intelligence and wit by Keira Knightly, who shines here as if she has been lit from within, she stands alongside her sister, Jane (Rosamind Pike), in physical beauty.

For fans of the book, some of whom are rumored to rather enjoy the opportunity to balk when given the chance, this is their chance. Well, that's it, they might think. They've sold out "Prejudice" to the mutts, stripping it of its point--that someone with a plain face and from more simple means could possess the wit and the demeanor to win over somebody as impossibly well-bred and as wealthy as a certain Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen). What will they do, these champions of Austen? How will they get through life now that their Elizabeth is (…cough…) pretty?

Perhaps they'll just enjoy the movie, particularly since the decision to refine Elizabeth's looks doesn't tip the balance of the tale as you might expect. She's still a handful here, still a challenge, still unable to restrain herself from saying exactly what's on her mind. Her pride is as formidable as ever, which creates some wonderful tension as her budding, tug-of-war relationship builds with Darcy, who initially comes off as a prejudiced snob until he reveals himself to be a trace more complex than that.

Beautifully photographed by Roman Osin and with a drop-dead gorgeous score by Dario Marianelli, this lush, romantic costume dramedy can be wicked and wickedly funny, particularly given its flighty performance by the marvelous Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet, whose sole purpose in life seems to be to marry off her five daughters before her nerves get the best of her, and the ferocious appearance by Dame Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourg, who could break someone's spirit with a mere glance.

But not Elizabeth's, not hers. She's a force, this one, and yet not at the expense of the other characters. Happily, Wright gets it right in that he also focuses on the periphery, where the three other Bennet sisters are brooding for a mate; Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) is a shy as ever around poor Jane; and the bond shared by Elizabeth and her father, Mr. Bennet, played to perfection by Donald Sutherland, remains magical regardless of the transition between mediums.

As for the ending, well, let's hope you're wearing a summer wardrobe beneath that winter coat, because the last scene is undeniably, uncontainably hot.

Grade: A