The movie has got "something" that many other modern films lack

Rating: 7/10 (29 January 2006)

Jane Austen's novel PRIDE AND PREJUDICE has been brought to screen several times so far. Unfortunately, I have not seen any of the adaptations except for this one, made by Joe Wright recently. So I state clearly that I am not going to compare it to anything else but I will rather treat it as a separate work. Therefore, I went to see it not to judge if the film is consistent with the novel or if it changes the content. I went to see the film hoping that I will find some true art in a modern film of this genre. And I was not disappointed.
I have to say frankly, in spite of the criticism that the movie received, that Wright's film is a pleasure to watch because it has got something artistic and at the same time realistic throughout (these two do not always go in pairs, of course). Although some scenes may seem chaotic and some of the content not particularly interesting, you get involved in watching it till the very end. It is a must to state here that PRIDE AND PREJUDICE perfectly shows the reality of the England of that time. There are a number of moments when we clearly see the lives of different people, their fears and struggles, their dreams and hopes. Mrs Bennet (Brenda Blethyn) wants her daughters to get married to rich men so that their future can be safe and stable. Such a viewpoint seems dated to us nowadays, but that's how all parents thought of their children's marriages at that time. And this plot is filled with humor in the film in order not to make the content vague and sluggish. "Oh my goodness! Everybody behave naturally," which is said by Mrs Bennet at an unexpected visit of Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy. Another serious matter emphasized in the film is the clash between viewpoints of the people of different upbringing and social status. The conversation between Lady Catherine De Bourg (Judi Dench) and Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) perfectly proves that. Consider this moment... At the same time, artistic pictures are embedded in many realistic scenes, some of them may be long but they really add a wonderful atmosphere to the movie. Filmed in mystical landscape of the British Isles, the film's locations are a feast for the eyes. But there is art in foremost one significant aspect, the performances.
Most of the cast do great jobs in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Young and beautiful Keira Knightley gives a reverent performance as Elizabeth. I liked her acting throughout, particularly in the moments of her conversations with Mr Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen). Tom Hollander gives a reverent performance as Mr Collins, a typical man who cares mostly for his personal image in the society. His facial expressions when dancing on a ball drove me, and the majority of audience in the cinema, to gales of laughter. Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy is maybe not that great in the role but at some moments, his acting is also worth considering. The Bennet sisters are portrayed by young actresses, some of them surely do not have the experience on screen, but who particularly shine in their roles are Donald Sutherland as Mr Bennet and Brenda Blethyn as his wife, Mrs Bennet, the mother of the girls. It's a must to see the scene when Mrs Bennet asks her husband to reprimand his daughter Elizabeth for refusing to accept Mr Collins' hand "...Your mother is angry because you refused..." And the final shot - quite unexpected but how wonderfully played. Brenda Blethyn memorably presents a panic of a mother who heads her daughters to find proper men. Consider her total change when it turns out that Lydia disappeared and is not wandering somewhere but has just got married...
There is one more aspect of the film that I feel an undeniable need to discuss, the way it shows love between a man and a woman. We all know what most modern films concentrate on in this case. It is mostly based on sexual desire and on no taboo in exposing it. There are even some people who have so much got used to such a view that they cannot imagine a film which does not show any nudity or sex. And in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, there is nothing of that. However, this fact is made more paradoxical by one important issue. Almost everything in the content has to do with love between a man and a woman... yet, there is even no indication of sex. This is presented really artistically ... love having to do with safety, (sometimes, unfortunately money for some characters), dignity, honor, gentleness, and sympathy. Therefore, I may allow children to see it without fear of any harm that it could do to them. In this respect, I highly appreciate this film.
Honestly speaking, I really enjoyed the film and am going to see it once again. It led me to a very nice atmosphere and I really relaxed while watching it. Surely no masterpiece, but a brilliant little cinema work of the early 21st century. 7/10