Customer Reviews

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice [VHS]

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Of all the screen adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, this 1996 adaptation is my favorite. It is not only beautifully-filmed, but the casting is excellent, and it stays very faithful to the novel. The other two adaptations which I like are the 1981 adaptation starring Elizabeth Garvie as Eliza Bennet and the austerely handsome David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy. Unfortunately, because of its age, the production qualities are rather weak and the entire production looks washed out on-screen. Despite this, the 1981 version is well-cast and is the most faithful adaptation of Austen's novel. The most recent adaptation, the film version starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Darcy has a haunting score and is lushly filmed, and quite the most romantic of all three adaptations. The chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth is palpable indeed! Yet, because of the time constraints (it only runs to about 2 hours), so much in the novel is left out, and many liberties are taken. Despite that, I loved it.

Back to this 1996 adaptation - I have watched this BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice more than a dozen times, and I still love it! It never fails to transport me into Austen's world, & makes me yearn to remain there for as long as I can. My fantasies notwithstanding, I must say that the cast of this adaptation do an excellent job. The roles are matched perfectly to the actors & actresses, and the two leads are PERFECT!I think these are the defining roles for Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth Bennet) & Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy). The Pemberley portrayed in this adaptation is my favorite. Julia Sawalha (who went on to play the lead actress in Lark Rise to Candleford) is simply audacious in the role of the wanton and vulgar Lydia Bennet! The ending of this adaptation is just perfect:)

The video cassettes are in perfect condition. The script stays very close to the original book, the acting is superb. All this together with the colors of the English landscape and the costumes really make the period come alive. A treat from beginning to end.

Colin Firth was born to play Darcy and Jennifer Ehle is his match as Elizabeth. The BBC and A&E got it right.

I have seen every film version of this beloved book and this is the one that Jane Austen had in mind when she wrote this classic. Six tapes with a run time of about 5 1/2 hours, when it's done you want more.