Before going further, I have to establish this fact : Pride and Prejudice tops the list of my favourite books, and is second to none. The only book that comes close is Persuasion, written by the same author. I think that Jane Austen is the best author in the whole wide world.
I discovered P&P when I was in Form 5, and have been addicted to Austen's works ever since. Have read the story cover to cover countless times. I myself have 3 copies of the same book : the Oxford World Classics version (my first one..I scribbled quite a few notes in that book), another copy (hardcover), given as a birthday present by a close friend, and another copy also in hardcover, complete with illustrations.
So obsessed by the book, I started looking for dramatization of it. That was when I discovered BBC's Pride and Prejudice, starred by Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Bought the VHS version a few years ago, and now I have the DVD as well. I have to say that to me it was THE BEST dramatization of any novel ever, as it was so faithful to the book. And Jennifer Ehle was the perfect choice for Elizabeth Bennet. Colin Firth IS Mr Darcy, and no one else can play the part.
Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFayden as Elizabeth and Darcy
When I heard that there were plans to make P&P into a movie with Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, I was quite unhappy. I may have something against her (don't ask me what it is), but speaking on neutral terms, I don't think she has the magnetism to play Elizabeth Bennet.
And so, yes, I was quite unhappy, but when I saw the trailer (you can access to it here) I was VERY upset. They have killed the story, totally. Austen's Pride and Prejudice has many layers to it; the story is like a deep ocean, seemingly calm on the surface but with lots of undercurrents. Every action, every look, even the setting, has significance. The subtlety of the story is where the beauty lies. And the movie just blew everything. For one thing, in the effort to fit the whole story into a two-hour movie, they sacrificed Austen's language and modified the dialogue. And Elizabeth Bennet is hailed as a 'modern woman' (supposedly) ahead of her time. WHAT'S UP with that? In that 2 mins and 27 seconds trailer, it was evident that they changed Elizabeth's character completely. She was a little bit too emotional, like Aishwarya Rai in Bride and Prejudice (an even more appalling adaptation of P&P). The character seemed less mature and less in control of herself.
Matthew McFayden as Mr Darcy? Well, as I said, Colin Firth IS Mr Darcy, and no one else can be. Enough said on that topic.
My biggest grievance against this new movie is that the value of the story, which is one of the greatest classics in English literature, has been 'cheapened' by reducing it to a mere story of 5 sisters in a rage to find rich and handsome husbands, putting aside more important issues so meticulously penned by Jane Austen. As a journalist put it, this movie is part of the production company's genius in 'packaging Englishness for Americans'.
*sigh* Jane Austen will turn in her grave for sure. I, for one, am resolved not to watch it. Can't bear to see the story closest to my heart be torn to pieces.
Yes, this is my assessment of the whole movie based on the trailer. You might say that judgements should not be passed based on first impressions alone (that's what Pride and Prejudice is about, ironically enough). However, in this case, a two-minute trailer told a thousand words.
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