Pride and Prejudice
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Judy Dench, Matthew Macfadyen
In an age where women were subjected to the superiority and mercy of men, the notion that a woman would fight for independence or love was virtually inconceivable. The sole purpose for a woman, particularly for a woman of low social standing, was to marry so they could protect themselves and have a future. While this idea is instilled in women at an extremely early age, there is a wide chasm between the concepts of marrying for convenience and marrying for love. Most women in Georgian-Era England were forced to accept the first alternative; marrying for convenience. Elizabeth Bennett breaks the fabric of expectation and duty and embarks on a journey to find love and ultimately to understand her own heart.
One element of Pride and Prejudice which casts this movie in such a unique light is the multiple layers of love which are woven in the fabric of the movie. The parental love which both Mr. and Mrs. Bennett demonstrate towards their four daughters is unique to each of their characters in how it is conveyed, but equally strong in its essence. Mrs. Bennett has one goal: to see her daughters married so they will be cared for after their father dies. She is willing to move mountains to give her daughters what she feels they truly need, but her greatest flaw is that in her drive to see her daughters married, she sometimes neglects to hear her daughters’ voices and take into consideration what would make them happy. This concept in particular is demonstrated when she tries to marry off Lizzie (Keira Knightley) to her pompous cousin and when Lizzie refuses she demands that Mr. Bennett intervene. Mr. Bennett is more understated in conveying his love to his daughters, however, his strength rests in the fact when it comes to his daughters’ happiness he is willing to pause for a moment and listen to what his daughters want instead of what society expects him to adhere to. The greatest example of this is when Lizzie finally confesses to her father who she loves and her father gives her his blessing even though the match was for a time the most unlikely of the four daughters to succeed.
Jane (Rosamund Pike), the eldest of the five, is the most beautiful of the Bennett girls and also a bit of a romantic when she encounters men. She captures the attention of the elegant (albeit awkward) Mr. Bingley at a party and a fragile connection is created between them. While at first, Jane adheres to society’s expectations to marry a rich bachelor in order to ensure her future and that of her family, I believe even after their love is refined by the tumultuous fires of misunderstanding and despair, she ultimately does find love Mr. Bingley.
Elizabeth is the second oldest of the five girls and by far the most outspoken independent. She firmly voices her own opinion and feelings not only to the proud Mr. Darcy, but also to anyone else she encounters. She stands apart from her sisters because she refuses to adhere to the so called “rules” of society and accept what is socially correct. Instead, after flying in the face of proposed love by her cousin and refusing to accept it, Lizzie finds a love worth waiting for in the one place she never thought she would find it: in Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. While at first there is chemistry between the couple, they do not immediately fall in love. Only after their attraction has been refined in the fires of adversity and challenged by the expectations of the people around them can they truly admit that they love each other.
There are two “faces” which make up the Bennett household: the public face and the private face. The public face – that is, the face which society sees - is almost like a mask. As the audience witnesses in the Bennett family’s life, even when the girls are not adhering to that code in private, the instant that privacy is broken by someone outside of the family circle, they must instantaneously adhere the expectations of society, even if that means simply creating the illusion that they are adhering to the rules. The irony to this is realized when the behavior is allowed to dramatically alter when they family is in the privacy of the home. Instead of adhering to formal behavior, the family allows a more relaxed behavior when away from the public eye, and the true personalities of the girls begin to shine through and be recognized by the audience.
Pride and Prejudice is an exceptional period film with a solid cast and an incredible, timeless storyline which allows the film to stand out from other films of the genre. The stunning costumes and locations only serve to enhance the stylistic essence of the film, and combined with the casting choices and the storyline, allow the reader to be swept into the magical world of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s epic love story. If you enjoy a good, romantic period film, this movie is definitely worth your time to watch.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Judy Dench, Matthew Macfadyen
In an age where women were subjected to the superiority and mercy of men, the notion that a woman would fight for independence or love was virtually inconceivable. The sole purpose for a woman, particularly for a woman of low social standing, was to marry so they could protect themselves and have a future. While this idea is instilled in women at an extremely early age, there is a wide chasm between the concepts of marrying for convenience and marrying for love. Most women in Georgian-Era England were forced to accept the first alternative; marrying for convenience. Elizabeth Bennett breaks the fabric of expectation and duty and embarks on a journey to find love and ultimately to understand her own heart.
One element of Pride and Prejudice which casts this movie in such a unique light is the multiple layers of love which are woven in the fabric of the movie. The parental love which both Mr. and Mrs. Bennett demonstrate towards their four daughters is unique to each of their characters in how it is conveyed, but equally strong in its essence. Mrs. Bennett has one goal: to see her daughters married so they will be cared for after their father dies. She is willing to move mountains to give her daughters what she feels they truly need, but her greatest flaw is that in her drive to see her daughters married, she sometimes neglects to hear her daughters’ voices and take into consideration what would make them happy. This concept in particular is demonstrated when she tries to marry off Lizzie (Keira Knightley) to her pompous cousin and when Lizzie refuses she demands that Mr. Bennett intervene. Mr. Bennett is more understated in conveying his love to his daughters, however, his strength rests in the fact when it comes to his daughters’ happiness he is willing to pause for a moment and listen to what his daughters want instead of what society expects him to adhere to. The greatest example of this is when Lizzie finally confesses to her father who she loves and her father gives her his blessing even though the match was for a time the most unlikely of the four daughters to succeed.
Jane (Rosamund Pike), the eldest of the five, is the most beautiful of the Bennett girls and also a bit of a romantic when she encounters men. She captures the attention of the elegant (albeit awkward) Mr. Bingley at a party and a fragile connection is created between them. While at first, Jane adheres to society’s expectations to marry a rich bachelor in order to ensure her future and that of her family, I believe even after their love is refined by the tumultuous fires of misunderstanding and despair, she ultimately does find love Mr. Bingley.
Elizabeth is the second oldest of the five girls and by far the most outspoken independent. She firmly voices her own opinion and feelings not only to the proud Mr. Darcy, but also to anyone else she encounters. She stands apart from her sisters because she refuses to adhere to the so called “rules” of society and accept what is socially correct. Instead, after flying in the face of proposed love by her cousin and refusing to accept it, Lizzie finds a love worth waiting for in the one place she never thought she would find it: in Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. While at first there is chemistry between the couple, they do not immediately fall in love. Only after their attraction has been refined in the fires of adversity and challenged by the expectations of the people around them can they truly admit that they love each other.
There are two “faces” which make up the Bennett household: the public face and the private face. The public face – that is, the face which society sees - is almost like a mask. As the audience witnesses in the Bennett family’s life, even when the girls are not adhering to that code in private, the instant that privacy is broken by someone outside of the family circle, they must instantaneously adhere the expectations of society, even if that means simply creating the illusion that they are adhering to the rules. The irony to this is realized when the behavior is allowed to dramatically alter when they family is in the privacy of the home. Instead of adhering to formal behavior, the family allows a more relaxed behavior when away from the public eye, and the true personalities of the girls begin to shine through and be recognized by the audience.
Pride and Prejudice is an exceptional period film with a solid cast and an incredible, timeless storyline which allows the film to stand out from other films of the genre. The stunning costumes and locations only serve to enhance the stylistic essence of the film, and combined with the casting choices and the storyline, allow the reader to be swept into the magical world of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s epic love story. If you enjoy a good, romantic period film, this movie is definitely worth your time to watch.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.