KRT CampusPride and Prejudice
Grade: 4/5 stars
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Rosamund Pike
Directed by: Joe Wright
For fans of: Anything else by Jane Austen
Now playing at: Chase Park Plaza
“We are all fools in love.”
This declaration by Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakely) is the perfect epitaph for this movie about the trials and tribulations of courtship in 18th-century England. Set in the lush English countryside, the Bennet household is turned upside down with the news that two very eligible bachelors, Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen) have decided to take up summer residence at nearby Netherfield Park, along with Mr. Bingley’s sister (Kelly Reilly). Mrs. Bennet, played by a very effusive Brenda Blethyn, immediately begins scheming about marriage possibilities for her daughters.
The Bennet sisters are each unique in their personalities and talents. The oldest sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) is beautiful and modest, Lizzy (Keira Knightley) is headstrong and vivacious, Mary (Talulah Riley) is serious and musical and youngest sisters Lydia and Kitty are flirtatious and often silly. At the county ball thrown by Charlotte Lucas’ family, the Bennets meet their new neighbors. While it’s obvious that Jane and Mr. Bingley are immediately attracted to each other, Mr. Darcy’s reaction to Lizzy is icy and pompous, as he refuses to dance with her.
Though Mr. Darcy’s opinion of Lizzy clearly changes for the better, a transformation that is especially telling is the scene in which a radiant Lizzy walks into Netherfield Park and encounters a dumbstruck Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley, and Lizzy allows her pride to lead her to a prejudiced opinion of Mr. Darcy. Both Mr. Bingley’s departure and the story of Darcy’s betrayal as told by Mr. Wickham (Rupert Friend) contribute to Lizzy’s refusal of Mr. Darcy’s marriage proposal. Yet through a younger sister’s follies and an older sister’s happiness, Lizzy is made to see the errors of her judgment and revises her first impression of the reserved but kindhearted Mr. Darcy.
Any production of “Pride and Prejudice” will no doubt be compared to the landmark A&E production of the Jane Austen novel, in which Jennifer Ehle gave a commanding performance as the spirited and likable Lizzy and a wet-shirted and britches-clad Colin Firth also made a memorable impression as Mr. Darcy. In this new adaptation, Knightley certainly looks the part of an English beauty, but perhaps due to the shorter length of the film or the distracting way in which she twitches her nose at every opportunity, her performance falls short of Ehle’s. MacFadyen had equally high expectations to fill, and his portrayal of Mr. Darcy highlights the character’s just-below-the-surface desire. Without speaking, MacFadyen communicates a world of emotion. Woods also gives a memorable performance as the charmingly awkward Mr. Bingley, whose effusive affections for Jane are especially endearing.
Ultimately, this movie is about relationships and falling in love, highlighting a woman’s position in Georgian England. As Mrs. Bennet and Charlotte Lucas both know, a woman who doesn’t find a suitable husband is doomed to poverty and spinsterhood. Luckily for the Bennet sisters, they are attractive girls, and in the end, both Jane and Lizzy find wealth and love. Don’t be surprised if you walk out of the theatre wishing to hop on the next plane to England in order to enjoy the scenery and the likes of Firth or MacFadyen. Just don’t expect the fairy-tale ending.