Battle of the Adaptations: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice (1995) vs. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

 

 

Here are the two best known productions of Jane Austen’s legendary ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that was first published in 1813 (Happy 200^th birthday) and tells the story of witty Elizabeth Bennett and the proud and handsome Mr Darcy who is blessed with ten thousand a year. For the sake of getting to the point and comparing these two adaptations, I am going to assume that you already know the story and if not I order you to immediately read the book because it is a beautiful masterpiece that anybody can enjoy.

First, I will lay out the main difference in my opinion; Pride and Prejudice (1995) is a BBC TV mini-series, which obviously means that it is more detailed in regards to the plot as the 2005 adaptation which just over 2 hours in length. Nevertheless, I believe that 2005 covers the story perfectly without making it seemed rushed.



The famous lake scene

Personally, my favourite is the 2005 version of the book, although I often find myself alone in this view. Obviously, 1995 has the benefit of Colin Firth, who is absolutely perfect in everything he does, in the unforgettable lake scene which makes everyone’s hearts flutter however I find the miniseries lacking in a little ‘oomph’ and it feels a little bland in comparison. The aforementioned lake scene is the only memorable scene in my view, in comparison, there are so many scenes in the 2005 film which are not only fantastically adapted from the books but are brilliantly acted and cinematically beautiful.

 Undeniable tension

Take, for example, the Netherfield Ball scene, where the other dances all disappear so that Lizzie and Mr Darcy are dancing alone in the empty ball room; this is a perfect representation of the tension that is described in the books. Also, the scene where Mr Darcy makes his first disastrous proposal, although Colin Firth as the nervous and stuttering Mr Darcy is spot-on, Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden seem to bounce off each other as they fight it out in the rain. It is such a tense and thrilling scene that it almost makes you forget that you have already read the book. To me, that is a sign of a fantastic adaptation; that it still makes you feel anxious to see what happens next.


Mr Darcy clearly failed the lesson in proposing to girls

Another reason as to why I prefer the 2005 adaptation of the book is the casting. I prefer the cast of the 2005 adaptation. (The only exceptions to this which I can remember from the top of my head are Colin Firth, who I will say again, is absolutely perfect, and Donald Sutherland whose pearly white Hollywood teeth send shivers down my spine.) Keira Knightey, to me, was born to play Lizzie Bennett. She has the exact look that I would expect. She is tall and thin;, not at all a rosy-cheeked beauty like her sister Jane, who is played by Rosamund Pike, who captures the butter-wouldn’t-melt allure of her character. On the other hand, as superficial as it may sound, Jennifer Ehle and Susannah Harker don’t fit in to the images that I have of Jane and Lizzie when I read the book. I also feel that Knightley has the sparkle of Lizzie Bennett; she can capture the sarcasm and humour of Lizzie, which makes her an equal to Mr Darcy and is to me her best feature. On the other hand, Ehle seems to be a little flat.

Of course, these are just a few of my opinions and you will have your own which I hope you will write in the comments below. Do you agree or disagree? Which is your favourite of the two, or do you prefer another adaptation? Are there any other important differences between the adaptations that you feel should be mentioned?

Also, being a blog about books, it is my duty to tell you to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, although I would give this advice to you even if I wasn’t in charge of a book blog. I truly believe it is a book that everybody should read at least once. Even somebody like me, who sometimes finds it hard to read ‘old books’ Pride and Prejudice was an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages.

 

(Unfortunately, none of the pictures used belong to me, not even this fantastic meme)