We recently watched the latest version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightly. It was very enjoyable, but I think they could have done better. First off- its impossible to do a good interpretation of this book in a two hour movie. Just like Lord of the Rings, it demands good time to tell the story properly.
The characters and their development in the movie were very good and fairly true to the book. However, the casting left much to be desired. The actors did a wonderful job, but some of them just weren't right for their part. Lizzy and Wickham were cast fairly well, but Bingley... Not how I imagined him. At all. Mr. Darcy, at first, does not seem like a Mr. Darcy at all, but as the movie goes along, you can really see him as Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bennett just wasn't right- they messed up his character.
Most movies are very vague interpretations of their story, but this version of Pride and Predjudice followed the storline nicely. One of the best things about it was the dialogue. Jane Austen chose the perfect words, and the makers of this movie kept the original wording (except at the end). However, alot of the words are little-known, so I suggest using subtitles.
Its a good version to watch if you just want to get through the story quickly, or you love dazzling cinematography (the lighting, effects, and costumes were amazing). But if you want to see justice done to the book, watch the 5 hour BBC mini series.
Its been awhile since I've seen it, but it is worth the 5 hours. It is not as dazzling but does a much better job with the storyline. Plus you can follow it even if you've never read the book or a synopsis. (My brother watched the Keira Knightly version with us and was totally and utterly lost. Well, I guess he also hated it because its a love story)
The BBC version is my fave! I love it!
ReplyDeleteClarissa