Comments on: DVD REVIEW: A&E’s “The Romance Collection: Special Edition” — “Pride and Prejudice”

By: jeff (theaishwaryarai.com)

jeff (theaishwaryarai.com) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:27:58 +0000

I’m sure there will be many comments re P&P (which I very much liked, BTW), but I do hope that there’s a review of “Ivanhoe”. This production is one of the best versions of the Scott novel I’ve seen, dirty and violent and romantic, and most of the credit goes to Ciaran Hinds. He is the ur-Brian de Bois Guilbert — strong, more than a little wicked (makes many of the romance novel bad boys look like novices), and sexy as all get out.

By: Chicklet

Chicklet — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:05:04 +0000

I adore Bride and Prejudice, although I wish like hell they’d cast a more charismatic actor (with a better singing voice) as Darcy. My friend and I sat through the movie wondering why the work of art known as Aishwarya Rai would end up with that lummox.

By: mia

mia — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:24:34 +0000

The best romcoms have allowed the hero and heroine to battle it out before they admit they’re in love, though. It’s a mistake if filmmakers are backing off what is classic romantic storytelling structure, but I fear you may be correct.

Conflict allows for the greatest display of unresolved sexual tension. The harder they fight, the harder they fall.

By: Janine

Janine — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:20:35 +0000

There are two approaches for filmmakers to take. One is to have the audience, along with the heroine, think that Darcy is terribly stuffy and arrogant, and then to judge him based on that, and only late discover that he really isn’t what he first appeared to be, and that we (as well as Lizzy) were prejudiced. Another approach is to have the audience see Lizzy’s prejudice against Darcy for what it is from the beginning of the movie, and realize he isn’t as bad as she thinks he is.

I think with movies especially (as opposed to made-for-TV miniseries) the producers invest so much $$$ going in that they have to be reasonably confident that they will recoup their investments. One way to to do that is to make the main characters in what is essentially a romantic comedy as charming and attractive as possible. They are probably afraid to make Darcy appear too arrogant. Maybe that’s why “Bride and Prejduice” used the second approach.

By: mia

mia — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:11:35 +0000

I loved Bride and Prejudice and thought it a natural and effective way to update the story, by making the arrogant Darcy an “ugly American” who held everything he saw in India in great disdain. Unfortunately I thought this one suffered from the same malady as the Knightly movie–Darcy simply wasn’t disdainful enough.

But I loved the film, and loved watching Naveen Andrews dance!

By: Janine

Janine — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:06:37 +0000

Since other versions of P&P have been brought up, I wonder if anyone else has seen “Bride and Prejudice,” the recent (2004) updated Bollywood version with gorgeous Indian actress Aishwarya Rai? Though of course (since it makes the heroine a 21st century woman of Indian descent), it’s not completely faithful to the book, I thought it was a lot of fun. Martin Henderson plays the Darcy role and Naveen Andrews of television’s “Lost” is also in this version, playing “Balraj Bingley.”

By: mia

mia — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:55:23 +0000

I loved this version of P&P though I totally agree with those who were less than enamoured with the Jennifer Ehle version of Elizabeth. I had many friends who drooled over Colin Firth and, having googled him and seen pictures, I just didn’t get it. Then I saw Bridget Jones’s Diary, and the very next week saw A&E’s airing of P&P and everything clicked into place. (How much did I love the BBC production? Enough to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning to watch it on A&E because my VCR was broken.)

I must say that as charming as I found the Keira Knightly film, I despised whatever idiot played Darcy. (I don’t even want to remember his name.) I don’t know whether to blame him, the script, the director, or all three but he spent the entire film looking lovesick, never once managed to look arrogant–

And a Darcy who is not arrogant and whose attraction isn’t cloaked beneath disdain for the entire first half of the story simply is not Darcy.

P.S. I adore the Andrew Davies script for the proposal, if for no other reason. Having read the proposal chapter in Austen’s novel and how much of it was told rather than put in actual dialogue, I think the dialogue that Davies wrote for Darcy was superb.

By: Meriam

Meriam — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:14:37 +0000

I did mention that the adaptation was by Andrew Davies

Ooops. My bad. Thanks for the review, Janine. It brought back many pleasant memories. I haven’t seen this version for years – perhaps it’s time to dust off the box set and re-evaluate the actors.

Re: Matthew McFadayen. I thought he had a very interesting, intense, take on Darcy. He seemed more vulnerable? I don’t know if that’s a good thing to a purist, but as an interpretation of a very well known literary figure, it was different and it won me over.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:35:00 +0000

I admit that I do like this version, but my favorite version of P&P is the one in 2005 with Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen. It may not be a true adaptation, but the powerful chemistry between the 2 main characters is much more believable. Having just read the book not all that long ago, I have to say that both actresses who play the mothers in the movies come across as 1-note characters, but honestly? Mrs. Bennett came across that way in the book, too. :)

By: DS

DS — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:32:30 +0000

I loved Ciaran Hinds in Persuasion– which became my favorite Austen after I wrote a very in depth essay on it for Honors English lo, these many years ago. This was the first television adaptation I watched. Later I saw the 70’s one and was put off by the costuming and hair which somehow managed to look as much 70’s as Regency style. I also liked Hinds as Mr. Rochester. Timothy Dalton, while easy on the eyes, was too smooth for that role, IMO.

However, when it comes to P&P– the 1995 version got me through a very rough period in my personal life. I came home and every night became lost in Jane Austen’s story. For me, this is THE adaptation. I also didn’t particularly care for Fay Weldon’s although I don’t remember why. I’ve read her fiction and enjoyed it, but somehow her P&P didn’t feel quite right.

I have most of these shows on DVD and have watched them repeatedly. In fact I think this set is a reissue because I picked a set up at a Sam’s Warehouse around Christmas one wear for a very reasonable price.

Ok, it was almost the same set– No Lorna Doone which I never liked anyway, that book was hard slogging, and no Victoria and Albert– instead it had Horatio Hornblower– more eye candy there.