"Pride & Prejudice" (2005) Aged Like Fine Wine
Jane Austen Was Right
I watched this movie for the memes and because I wanted to see our boy Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) do that hand twitch thing that I’ve been seeing trending but never knew the origins of.
Also that other meme? I’m sure you know the one, the one where Elizabeth Bennett’s (Keira Knightley) friend Charlotte (Claudie Blakley) is like “I’m 27 and I’m a burden to my parents I’ve no prospects and I’m frightened” or something to that effect.
I vibe very hard with that sentiment, tipping just ever so closer to that age and fearing the worst in society and the world. It’s relatable. Perhaps…a little too relatable.
I watched this movie with some friends and I could very clearly identify where all the memes came from, the lead up and the delivery— but honestly? The memes feel like an endearing homage to what is a splendidly told love story in a timeless film that holds up almost two decades later.
People only really hold discourse over something if they loathe it or if they love it. And for director Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride & Prejudice, it is definitely the latter.
I did not expect to like this movie nearly as much as I did but it was well worth the 2 hour 8 minute TRT. Lots of things to laugh about, but oh so many more things to just love about it. I love the love it presents and I hope you will too :)
Manic Pixie Dream Girl on an Uno Reverse Card
One of the friends I watched this with gushed about how this story is the trope of a good girl falling for the bad boy, but in reverse. Elizabeth Bennett (Keira Knightley plays a lot of Elizabeths but I kinda love that) is the “bad boy,” the rebel who believes in romantics and doesn’t care a lick about polite society and how others view her.
Mr. Darcy is the prude: uptight, aloof, well-endowed, and unable to express himself beyond curt quips and tense pacing.
Instead of the girl being the one who is whimsical and head over heels in love, it’s the opposite here. And boy does that set us up well.
He falls hard for her, and there is no way in bloody hell he can tell her that. When he does initially confess to her and ask for her hand in marriage [at the halfway point of the movie mind you], he manages to insult her, her whole family, and her upbringing. Accidentally of course, but it was damn rude and he didn’t realize how bad it sounded until he said his peace and Elizabeth left him in the rain to drown.
That left him the entire second half of the movie to redeem himself in her eyes, and redeem he does. Never was a redemption as beautiful and uplifting, on par with, perhaps, that of Jesus.
But I digress.
He manages to win her over with his actions wholly. He saves her family from ruin in more ways than one and he offers himself once more to Elizabeth, a changed, and slightly humbler man.
But the thing is, that’s who Darcy always was. Elizabeth couldn’t see past her prejudice and beyond his pride to see what a gentleman Mr. Darcy truly is.
Both at fault, both owning up to it. Both accepting those flaws and loving each other in spite of them.
The good boy ends up with the bad girl. And it is such a refreshing hash on this trope, that I highly recommend this movie if you’re feeling just the tad bit romantic.
Cinematography
Another thing I did not expect to love as much as I did, was the beautiful cinematography. The long, winding shots carousing through a splendid ballroom. The camera moving as a ghost through every powdered guest and tightly wrapped bodice.
The camera ✨ a t e ✨. The slow, smooth movements really showcase the beautiful set and production design. Every character is moving or dancing or guffawing in the background and these looong tracking shots allow us a small glimpse into such a chaotic and beautiful world.
Everything is moving and spinning and bursting with life that I am reminded of what this story really is: a slice of life. We are allowed entrance to Elizabeth’s life, as guests, but that is all. There is no grand adventure to embark on or a dragon to slay. Like Miyazaki, like indie films, this work is a moment in time, a world so lavishly designed that to be allowed to see it is a pleasure in itself.
Such unblinking camera work really sets the world up as a character on its own. Which is why modern-day takes on Austen novels fail:
They try to shove a romantic, classical novel into the 3-act structure. They want a beginning, middle, and end and a conflict to sell to the papers.
These stories are bite-sized chunks of a life beyond the cinemas. To extract the essence of that and to place it into modern Hollywood archetypes is distillation of the most absurd and offensive task.
These stories are observations of life and the beauty we can gather from daily life. They don’t always need a protagonist or antagonist or villain to drive the drama.
Romantics
This is such a romantic film. Not that I’m complaining. This is really cute and has probably set my expectations for a partner rather high. Higher than I can afford at the current moment, but I like what it represents.
Being true to yourself and listening to your heart.
Not abiding by societal expectations to marry for money or for status.
Loving the life that you live and choosing, for better or for worse, whatever will make you happy. It’s also a very feminist piece, but one focused on being as authentic to yourself as possible.
Quite honestly, I don’t think this story passes the reverse Bechdel Test which is hilarious but very fitting at the same time.
This romanticizes romance and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. Mr. Darcy is a good man and he proves that by doing good deeds. Without being told to do them, he’s off in his own little world doing his own thing, doing what he believes is right.
Mr. Darcy has waited for Elizabeth to be ready for so long, but he never pursues her once she refuses her consent.
They are polite yet witty to one another. They are proper and civil when things fall through and they are respectful despite their differing societal statuses.
This romanticizes daily life in a way that I’ve only really seen done in Miyazaki films, from Japan. It’s an appreciation for life that goes beyond Hollywood marketing and conventional storytelling.
It is love. Love for what is life.
I've never been one to be that interested in Pride and Prejudice. Though I think I've seen a few TV shows and movies that have done some version of the story. But this sounds like something worth checking out.