03.10.07
Thoughts on Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Mary-Carolyn’s thoughts on Pride and Prejudice, the 1995 version. My mom and I have been watching big chunks of the film at nights, and it’s been enjoyable watching it with her, except when she makes comments like “How did Mr. Darcy get out of his engagement to Ann DeBourg?†Anyway, here are some of the things I noticed; most of these things are from the first part of the movie, where my mom wasn’t asking me so many questions.
The film opens with sewing, embroidery and dresses, emphasizing that this is a women’s movie. The first scene with Lizzie and Jane isn’t from the book, but it sets up their temperaments and well as their strong relationships to each other. I noticed Lydia’s height dominance over Kitty in several scenes, but particularly in the scene where they first discuss Mr. Bingley’s arrival, Kitty is sitting down and Lydia is standing, emphasizing Lydia’s greater importance. Mary has a lot of great reactions to Mr. Collins. First, when he arrives, she’s preening herself and patting her hair. In any scene with Collins, Mary is usually “hovering†behind him. Later, when he asks Lizzy to dance, Mary looks like she thinks he will ask her, and is disappointed when he turns to Lizzy. Upon Mr. Collins’ arrival, Lizzy is seated next to him at dinner, and is singled out by her father when the conversation turns to a discussion of Mr. Collins’ home, foreshadowing, or at least setting up, Mr. Collins’ hope that Lizzy will marry him. In the same scene, Lizzy’s laughter and her father and Mr. Collins’ discussion of compliments shows her personality and her relationship with her father, and to an extent, sets up Mr. Bennet’s parenting style as one that doesn’t impose restraints on his daughters. That the girls are quite free to do as they please is emphasized throughout the film by frequently placing the girls out of doors. When Lizzy and Wickham talk about how he was poorly used by Mr. Darcy, Wickham always seems to be looking sideways, up or down, or past Lizzy’s shoulder rather than looking directly at her. But the two are sitting diagonally, so it’s hard to tell where in Wickham’s line of sight Lizzy would be. Also in this scene, Wickham introduces the topic unprompted, like in the novel, but I don’ think that is the case in the 2005 film (correct me if I’m wrong, I can’t seem to remember). In any case, the 2005 version certainly diminishes Wickham’s “crimes.’ When Lydia approaches the two at the close of this conversation, Wickham says he hasn’t had a dance in three months. I wonder if this is an attempt to justify his behavior as he doesn’t have the “proper social channels†to find a suitable wife. In various scenes in the film, Lizzy and Jane both wear cross necklaces (like Fanny Price), but none of the other girls do. This is a way, other than framing their more forward in the scene, to set them apart from their sisters. At the Netherfield Ball, Darcy is framed between Lizzy and Jane as they discuss his relationship with Wickham. There’s also some nice phallic imagery when Lydia runs around with Denny’s sword, and I’d be willing to bet there’s some more in the film, especially centered on Lydia. Mrs. Bennet’s insistence on Lizzy staying to hear Mr. Collins emphasizes her controlling, manipulating nature. Interestingly, we see similar characteristics in Lizzy’s scheming to get Jane to London. Mrs. Bennet’s obvious awe of Lady Catherine sets up what the book says is the reason for her improved kindness to Mr. Darcy – her sheer awe of him. I also really like the choice of casting for Lady Catherine. While I love Dame Judy Dench in the 2005 version, I think she’s a bit too intimidating for Lady Catherine as Mr. Collins actually has a reason to be frightened of her and always eager to please her. His reverence of her ought to be funny, and it is portraying Lady Catherine as a small, thin, slightly sickly looking woman that makes the amazing amount of control she has the fear she inspires funny. I also noticed that a fade is used to move from Darcy at the Netherfield Ball to an overview of the ball, and then pans over to Lizzy and Charlotte discussing Darcy. Other than the times the fade is used at the end of a segment, this is one of the very few times a fade is used, and I can’t figure out why it is used. Any thoughts?
Oh, on a fun note, I found out that the woman who plays Miss. Bingley, Anna Chancellor, is eight times the niece of Jane Austen; she is the direct descendant of Austen’s eldest brother Edward. She has another relative called Fanny Rice (haha!).