It’s Saturday afternoon, and it’s pouring outside, so you’re reluctant to go out. You decide to watch a sweet romance film that is suitable for the weather and will make you happy. “Pride and Prejudice” is the movie for you.

“Pride and Prejudice”  is a romantic novel published by Jane Austen anonymously in three volumes in 1813. It is considered a classic English literature that centers around the relationship of Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman in the 1800s, and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet(Keira Knightley) is the daughter of a country gentleman, while Mr.Darcy(Matthew Macfadyen) is a wealthy aristocratic landowner. 

The 2005 remake of “Pride and Prejudice” starts by introducing all the Bennet family members, Jane (Rosamund Pike), Elizabeth, Mary(Talulah Riley), Kitty(Carey Mulligan), Lydia(Jena Malone), Mrs.Bennet(Brenda Blethyn), and Mr.Bennet(Donald Sutherland). After introducing the five daughters and parents, the movies show Mrs.bennet talking about Mr.Bingley(Simon Woods), a handsome, friendly, and young wealthy man, being in town and single. The film is set in an era when the only thing a woman could do was marry a wealthy man, and all of the girls were pressured to find wealthy partners to keep their families comfortable. Elizabeth, on the other hand, refused to marry the first man that came along and only wanted to marry for love.

At a ball, Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy, who at first hand has no interest in her. However, from the beginning of the ball, Mr. Bingley and the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, quickly form an attachment. Bingley’s sisters (who does not approve of Jane as a wife for Bingley because of her mother’s lower status) and Darcy (who believes that Jane is indifferent to Bingley) are both opposed to any serious relationship between the two. Over time, Darcy confesses to having wrongly judged Jane and that his intentions were never to hurt Jane but to protect Mr.Bingley(who is a dear friend to him).

Darcy starts finding himself attracted to Elizabeth despite his objections to her family. Darcy is fascinated by her wit and charm, which later leads him to propose to Elizabeth in an insulting and arrogant manner. Throughout the film, we see how Mr. Darcy tries to correct his mistakes and battle against what is imposed on him for Elizabeth’s sake. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is the last man she could ever marry, but she begins to see that her prejudices towards him are false and that he is a true gentleman. We get to see the growth of some of the characters, while others still remain the same.

How does the “Pride & Prejudice” (2005 Film)compare to the book?

“It’s obvious that a movie cannot do a book such as The Original “Pride and Prejudice” itself justice, but I believe it was a fairly good attempt. Though I believe the book is still a better read than the movie is a watch, for the book elucidates perfectly how Elizabeth undergoes the transition of emotions through the course of the story contrary to the sudden switch of impression as portrayed hastily by the movie,” said a review on google for the “Pride & Prejudice”(2005) film.

The new adaptation of the novel is a unique blend of genres. It has the feel of a teen rom-com from the 1980s. Yet, it’s a historical drama that prioritizes its characters’ journeys.  The new film, I would say, is a better method for younger audiences to approach classical literature, and it is a terrific way for newer generations to become interested in it.

Although the film is not a perfect adaptation of the book, it allows audiences to experience a good novel on screen without having to read the book because the film is easy to follow along with, which is not always the case with book adaptations.

“The question remains– will they overcome their pride and prejudices and get married? I’m not a huge fan of ‘classical classics’ where the writing style is dull and hard to understand. I was so pleased to find that this is not the case with Austen’s writing style. I enjoyed every single page of this wonderful novel, and truly did not want it to end! I will certainly be reading more Austen! I would recommend this book to anyone– fans of romance, family-oriented stories, comedies, fans of classics, and even reluctant readers of classics who would like an easy gateway into the world of classic novels,” says a reviewer, Allie S., on whether to read the book.

Rating 

9/10 

I loved the film; I will never get tired of watching this film over and over again. It honestly lifts my mood, and I enjoy seeing how different each character is. I tried reading the book, but I feel that it takes longer to understand Jane Austen’s writing styles and the film allows me to understand what the book is about, the only downside is it doesn’t have as many details as the book. After re-watching the movie, it makes me want to read the book to get more details on the characters, see what happens next, and get extra scenes that weren’t shown in the movie. However, not everyone agrees with my rating, but most audiences do.  

One anonymous person on goodreads says, “I started this and it was initially good, I started reading more, started getting bored more and confused more, I put the book on hold, watched the movie -which I liked- and then went back to the book which I found easier to read now but still my classics complex was not resolved, I decided to mix between reading the physical copy and listening to the audiobook. The audiobook is available for free on YT and other websites and the narrator does an excellent job of narrating it! My problem was that in the normal cases, I would have DNFed the book and moved on but I wanted to give it a chance. I won’t do the same thing again for every book I am bored with, but this experience confirmed classics are not for me, the confusion was not thereafter watching the movie so it is probably me not the book!”

 “Before I gave this film a chance, I didn’t bother to see it because I thought it was going to be boring, and it would be the same love story like your other average romantic film. After hearing all the good things about this film from people and critics alike, I had to see this for myself. When I did, I was wrong. “Pride and Prejudice” is a beautiful, crafted movie that lives up to its hype. When it comes to romantic movies, I tend to turn away from them because the majority of them are too cheesy and cliche, but I had an open-mind when I saw it. I felt relieved when I realized that this movie isn’t one of them,” says an anonymous person on rottentomates. 

After reading numerous reviews, my opinion remains unchanged: this film is excellent. It contains all of the elements that I look for in a film. It has a love story, displays character growth, involves drama, has fantastic scenes, and is a wonderful story.

“You must know… surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I’d scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love–I love–I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on,” says Mr. Darcy at the end of the film.