Pride and Prejudice
—1. Overview (multimedia)
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters (Keira Knightley)
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections
—10. Presentation Downloads
First impressions are often wrong. True character is measured by our ability to swallow our pride and own up to our initial prejudices.
That challenge is at the heart of Pride and Prejudice, a new film version of Jane Austen’s classic novel set in 17th-century England. This film by director Joe Wright marks this year’s second outstanding adaptation of Austen’s most popular novel. (I also would recommend Bride and Prejudice, a contemporary Indian Bollywood musical adaptation of the same text).
The story centers on the five daughters of the middle-class Bennet family, a family whose livelihood is threatened because their home would be inherited by a distant cousin if Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland) were to die. Perhaps this is what has caused Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn) to become ruthless in her efforts to marry off her daughters quickly and well. “The business of her life was to get her daughters married,� Austen wrote. The problem, of course, is that Mrs. Bennet obnoxiously blunders about her matchmaking attempts in a manner that shames her family and nearly alienates her two oldest daughters.
We see this world through the eyes of the film’s protagonist, 20-year-old Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley). The second-oldest Bennet daughter is intelligent and quick- witted. When she spurns the loveless marriage proposal of a pompous rector, Mrs. Bennet vows never to speak to her daughter again. Yet Elizabeth’s father, respecting his daughter’s wisdom, tells her, “From this day onward, you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins. And I will never see you again if you do.�
When Elizabeth first meets the vain and aristocratic Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen), she forms quick prejudices, as does Mr. Darcy. He describes her looks as “tolerable, but not handsome enough� for him. “I could more easily forgive his vanity had he not wounded mine,� Elizabeth tells her oldest sister, the beautiful Jane (Rosamund Pike). Later, she tells Darcy “from the first moment I met you, your arrogance made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever marry.�
Yet this love story ultimately raises the question of whether its characters will love their view of the world more than they love the truth. By the midpoint, Mr. Darcy has completely rejected his first assessment of Elizabeth. He proposes to her, although in a manner so awkward that it does his cause more harm than good. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who “swore to loathe him for all eternity� based on what she has heard about Darcy from others, has a revelation that calls into question the truth of her perceptions about him.
At its core, Pride and Prejudice portrays what is meant by repentance. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy need to overcome their pride and their initial prejudices in their respective journeys over the course of the film. The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, literally means to turn about face, to change one’s mind or to undergo a radical conversion. The principal characters need to see their world with new eyes.
Darcy proves his love for Elizabeth – not only with words but with actions. His deeds demonstrate that he is a completely different person than the one Elizabeth thought he was. Darcy actually needs to undo some of the events his previous actions have brought about. The tasks illustrate the cost required for repentance, particularly as he must humble himself beyond what might be possible for contemporary Darcys. Elizabeth, who had pride in her ability to perceive others, has to acknowledge that she has been completely blind. “He’s been a fool, and so have I,� she says.
Elizabeth’s confession calls to mind the words of Jesus: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.� When the truth is revealed to Elizabeth, she quickly casts aside the false view of the world she had constructed. She is able to see Darcy in a new light, as though scales have fallen from her eyes. For it is not Pride and Prejudice, but humility and charity which give birth to love.
From intimate conversations to beautiful landscapes, this Pride and Prejudice captures the wonderful spirit of Jane Austen’s novel in a manner that’s authentic to its source and well-suited to the medium of film.
—Overview (multimedia)
—Reviews and Blogs
—2. Overview Basic (dial up speed)
—3. Reviews and Blogs
—4. Cast and Crew
—5. Photo Pages
—6. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—7. Posters (Keira Knightley)
—8. Production Notes (pdf)
—9. Spiritual Connections
—10. Presentation Downloads
First impressions are often wrong. True character is measured by our ability to swallow our pride and own up to our initial prejudices.That challenge is at the heart of Pride and Prejudice, a new film version of Jane Austen’s classic novel set in 17th-century England. This film by director Joe Wright marks this year’s second outstanding adaptation of Austen’s most popular novel. (I also would recommend Bride and Prejudice, a contemporary Indian Bollywood musical adaptation of the same text).
The story centers on the five daughters of the middle-class Bennet family, a family whose livelihood is threatened because their home would be inherited by a distant cousin if Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland) were to die. Perhaps this is what has caused Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn) to become ruthless in her efforts to marry off her daughters quickly and well. “The business of her life was to get her daughters married,� Austen wrote. The problem, of course, is that Mrs. Bennet obnoxiously blunders about her matchmaking attempts in a manner that shames her family and nearly alienates her two oldest daughters.
We see this world through the eyes of the film’s protagonist, 20-year-old Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley). The second-oldest Bennet daughter is intelligent and quick- witted. When she spurns the loveless marriage proposal of a pompous rector, Mrs. Bennet vows never to speak to her daughter again. Yet Elizabeth’s father, respecting his daughter’s wisdom, tells her, “From this day onward, you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins. And I will never see you again if you do.�
When Elizabeth first meets the vain and aristocratic Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen), she forms quick prejudices, as does Mr. Darcy. He describes her looks as “tolerable, but not handsome enough� for him. “I could more easily forgive his vanity had he not wounded mine,� Elizabeth tells her oldest sister, the beautiful Jane (Rosamund Pike). Later, she tells Darcy “from the first moment I met you, your arrogance made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever marry.�
Yet this love story ultimately raises the question of whether its characters will love their view of the world more than they love the truth. By the midpoint, Mr. Darcy has completely rejected his first assessment of Elizabeth. He proposes to her, although in a manner so awkward that it does his cause more harm than good. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who “swore to loathe him for all eternity� based on what she has heard about Darcy from others, has a revelation that calls into question the truth of her perceptions about him.
At its core, Pride and Prejudice portrays what is meant by repentance. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy need to overcome their pride and their initial prejudices in their respective journeys over the course of the film. The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, literally means to turn about face, to change one’s mind or to undergo a radical conversion. The principal characters need to see their world with new eyes.
Darcy proves his love for Elizabeth – not only with words but with actions. His deeds demonstrate that he is a completely different person than the one Elizabeth thought he was. Darcy actually needs to undo some of the events his previous actions have brought about. The tasks illustrate the cost required for repentance, particularly as he must humble himself beyond what might be possible for contemporary Darcys. Elizabeth, who had pride in her ability to perceive others, has to acknowledge that she has been completely blind. “He’s been a fool, and so have I,� she says.
Elizabeth’s confession calls to mind the words of Jesus: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.� When the truth is revealed to Elizabeth, she quickly casts aside the false view of the world she had constructed. She is able to see Darcy in a new light, as though scales have fallen from her eyes. For it is not Pride and Prejudice, but humility and charity which give birth to love.
From intimate conversations to beautiful landscapes, this Pride and Prejudice captures the wonderful spirit of Jane Austen’s novel in a manner that’s authentic to its source and well-suited to the medium of film.
—Overview (multimedia)
—Reviews and Blogs
2 Comments:
I want to see the movie ,it looks good.
I'm waiting it to come on icontrol so I can buy it on my DVR and watch it.
God Bless :-)
This is a nice review of a wonderful film. Pride & Prejudice is sweet, romantic, innocent and intelligent. The photography alone is worth the price of admission. The film will make you nostalgic for a time when people exercised a bit more discretion and restraint in relationships. It was great to watch a contemporary movie and not be offended by one single thing. :)
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