Pride & Prejudice.
Longing looks, dramatic entrances, misunderstanding of motives, and a hearty dose of … humor? All of this awaited the “sold out” crowd Thursday at Yale’s Humanities Center for a screening of Pride & Prejudice, the beloved 2005 film celebrating its 20th anniversary. It was the second of the four films being shown as part of the Yale Film Archive’s summer series. Its dedicated followers entered and exited the screening abuzz about this memorable film, and remained enraptured by it throughout.
Based on the 1813 classic novel Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen when she was around 21 years old, the Joe Wright-directed film captures the youthfulness and charm of the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, and her sisters as they navigate their mother’s desperation to get them all married and married well, though she will settle for just one so they can all be supported.
At this point in time, it would almost be impossible to be unfamiliar with this work, as it has been recreated and adapted in numerous ways: movies, TV series, soap operas. Typically, fans of the work remain in two camps regarding the adaptations: Either this film or the BBC television adaptation from 1995 is their favorite.
Sometimes that comes down to a more basic question: Who is your favorite Mr. Darcy (the gentleman with whom Elizabeth has a somewhat tortured relationship)? In the miniseries he is played by celebrated British actor Colin Firth, known well for his Oscar-winning role as the King in The King’s Speech and as another version of Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary. In this film Mr. Darcy is played by celebrated British actor Matthew MacFadyen, known most famously for his Emmy-award winning role as Tom Wambsgans in the HBO series Succession.
o matter who your favorite Darcy is, this film belongs to Keira Knightley. As Elizabeth Bennet she electrifies every scene she is in with her fiery wit, charm, and beauty. It is most interesting to note that in the beginning of the film, when she and her sister Jane (played by Rosamond Pike) are being introduced to the rich and handsome Mr. Darcy and his equally rich and handsome friend Charles Bingley (played by Simon Woods), Elizabeth is described by her mother (played hysterically by Brenda Blethyn) as “plain” though to anyone with eyes she is anything but.
The title somewhat gives away the themes of this film, but it does not make the proceedings any less captivating. Initial judgements of those involved based upon their positions in society and possessions (or lack thereof) make for a most uproarious time. Lizzie (as she is called by her family) is eager to get her more reserved sister Jane to stand up for herself and allow love to find her, she herself seems to fight the notion of love tooth and nail, though she also fights the notion of getting married without that love being present, as she does when the cousin who is in control of their home, Mr. Collins, comes calling for her hand.
Darcy, handsome but somewhat stuffy and socially inept, is initially dismissive of Lizzie, calling her “barely tolerable,” a comment she overhears but eventually throws back at him in a most enjoyable way. Their budding relationship, while fraught with misconceptions of each other and battles with self-interpretations, reveals a deeper understanding of how we all can let first impressions get the best of us and how the lack of communication can hinder enlightenment, understanding, and, yes, even love.
The look of the film is breathtaking, the 35 mm print showcasing the grand shots of the countryside as well as Wright’s dance through the rooms of the home where the ball is being held, capturing each character trying to maneuver their own way through the evening. The supporting cast is charming in their own right, especially Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet and Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet, both garnering some of the biggest laughs of the night with their commentary.
And oh, how this crowd laughed. As stated earlier, the room was full (though keep in mind that these screenings are free), so the responses of laughter as well as “awww“s during the more touching scenes were loud and lovely. As we all watched Lizzie and Mr. Darcy find each other on multiple planes, every nuance became exciting and new, even to those of us who had seen it before. What has become widely known as Darcy’s “hand flex,” as he walks away from helping Lizzie get into her carriage, renewed itself as an aha moment.
This reporter has seen a lot of films in theaters, and has seen this particular film three times. This showing will go down as one of my favorite screenings of all. Everything felt new again with this crowd. Maybe it was the need for a good warm laugh with a good warm crowd. Maybe it was the beauty of it all on the big screen in 35 mm. Or maybe it was the reminder that we all need to step back, listen, and learn from one another rather than hastily judge and set preconceived notions in stone. Maybe it was all three. Either way, it makes me want to say, “Go, please, go see a movie in a theater with a group of others.: It is one simple way to connect, reconnect, and rejuvenate. YFA has two more opportunities to do this in July, and both are also free. Open yourself to the possibilities, pride and prejudice free.
Please see the Yale Film Archive website for more information about the two remaining films in their summer series. Both are free and open to the public.