Pride and Prejudice

I’m so accustomed to the 2005 Joe Wright adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that I had entered this with some skepticism. While it lacks Joe Wright’s more stylistic flourishes and creative choices, this 1995 adaptation makes up for it in just the sheer wealth of content. Presumably closer to the novel because of the five hour runtime, it really highlights the change in Mr. Darcy’s character throughout the story, making it truly a sprawling slow-burn epic. The comedy is often quite broad (Mrs. Bennett and Mr. Collins being inherently comedic in their character and manner), but I loved Jennifer Ehle’s performance. The subtle gestures and expressions that said so much, as well as her natural on-screen charm. Colin Firth makes for a great Darcy as his brooding and proud nature makes him immediately magnetic. The class issues are much more in the foreground too, or, at least, were much more clear when one gets to spend five hours amongst them. A strong start for my yearning series this month.