Customer Reviews

Pride & Prejudice [VHS]

5 star:		(115)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

I have seen this movie possibly 50 times, and will see it another 50. I first saw it when I was a wee lass, and it was seeing this movie which caused me to read the to the book.....and for bringing me the mesmerizing literature of Jane Austen, I will be eternally grateful. I have since read the book even more times than I have seen the movie... and every other Jane Austen book. She is my favorite author by far, and the book is my favorite. I am reading it now, yet again, and will probably read it every year of my life.

I think the movie is the best of the lot. I realize that the movie was made in the 1940's, and the sets and costumes are not totally accurate, especially when compared to the fine latter day versions (I especially like the Colin Firth one)... But all in all, this movie, the 1940 original with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, is in my opinion, head and shoulders above all other film adaptations.

Not because it is more faithful in those details I previously mentioned, but because for all that, I feel like I am stepping back into the past when I watch it, and the essential ideals and concepts and stories which are the cornerstone of Pride and Prejudice are intact and inviolate here as they are in few other movies.

There is a passage in the book, "Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult to affront anybody". This seems to me to sum up not only our dear Lizzy, but Greer Garson as well. She IS ELIZABETH!! Never once when insulting Mr. Darcy did she not seem charming and goodhearted. She is the perfect Lizzy, and in my opinion, most every castmember is the same.. perfect for their roles.

I just love it.

This is classic old-school Hollywood masterpiece at its best: with a total run time of 117 minutes, this is altogether a much-condensed version of Jane Austen's beloved tale, "Pride & Prejudice." I love A&E's 6 hour version (which is more accurate to the book), but this shorter version is just such fun to watch & enjoy!

When there are 5 unmarried daughters in any upper-class Regency family, it is sure to lead to trouble! For Mrs. Bennett, the news of a rich, young bachelor (Mr. Bingley) moving to town, sends her into quite a tizzy! She spends all her time scheming & plotting to marry her daughters off to any suitable gentleman in the neighborhood who will take them: Jane, the eldest & prettiest, Elizabeth (our heroine), the second & wittiest, Mary, the third & bookish, Kittie, the fourth & silly, and Lydia, the fifth & silliest. Mrs. Bennett has such a time keeping all her daughters in line, and all (*gasp*) without the help of a governess! The antics of the Bennett family are sure to have you rolling in stitches...

Greer Garson is simply excellent as Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennett, and Laurence Olivier is wonderful as Mr. Darcy: Elizabeth is just so independent & intelligent, while Darcy is proud & haughty. Their quick-witted, sometimes tongue-in-cheek dialogues are so entertaining to watch & enjoy! All the cast is simply excellent: Miss Bingley so snotty, Lady Catherine de Bourg so supercilious, and on and on...

This is one I have been waiting ages for the DVD release! This is highly recommended as an amazing piece of Hollywood movie history!!

This is a review of the quality of the DVD. It is a foreign import of very bad quality. Do not buy it. The sound does not match the lips. The picture is of low quality. I was not patient and wanted this wonderful picture on DVD. So please wait until the official American DVD is available, which I hope is soon.

This is a magnificent, although loose, adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. The superlative cast does justice to the witty and sophisticated screenplay by Aldous Huxley. It is a wonderful period piece and a delightful comedy of manners.

The story revolves around the upper middle class Bennett family, who live in a small, provincial town. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, wonderfully played by Mary Boland and Edmund Gwenn, have five daughters whom they must marry off. So, when Mrs. Bennett receives news of a wealthy bachelor, Mr. Bingley, moving into town, Mrs. Bennett is over the moon with joy. She soon begins maneuvering her daughters, so that perhaps one of them may be taken off her hands in happy wedlock.

Jane Bennett, beautifully played by the lovely Maureen O'Sullivan, manages to engage Mr. Bingley's heart at a local ball. Elizabeth Bennett, intelligent and articulate, manages to capture the interest of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley's even wealthier best friend. Greer Garson is superlative in the role of Elizabeth, while Laurence Olivier is perfect in the role of the arrogant, soon to be humbled by love, Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy, drawn to Elizabeth, falls in love with her, but makes a proposal of marriage filled with such snobbery that Elizabeth, who has since discovered that Mr. Darcy had negatively interfered with Jane's romance with Mr. Bingley, is repulsed and turns him down. Elizabeth later finds out through the machinations of Mr. Darcy's aunt, delightfully played with autocratic hauteur by Edna May Oliver, that perhaps she had misjudged Mr. Darcy, and she overcomes her prejudice against him.

Driven by a love that sees him humbled, Mr. Darcy puts away his pride and overcomes the snobbery he initially felt towards the Bennetts. In the face of a great scandal that threatens to eclipse the Bennett household, Mr. Darcy stands steadfast in his love for Elizabeth, and demonstrates it in a way that provides a solution to the impending scandal.

How this comes about and unfolds is a source of pure cinematic delight for the viewer. The dialogue is brilliant and the acting is superb. This is one of Greer Garson's best performances. It is also one of the finest period pieces ever filmed.

This is a magnificent, although loose, adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. The superlative cast does justice to the witty and sophisticated screenplay by Aldous Huxley. It is a wonderful period piece and a delightful comedy of manners.

The story revolves around the upper middle class Bennett family, who live in a small, provincial town. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, wonderfully played by Mary Boland and Edmund Gwenn, have five daughters whom they must marry off. So, when Mrs. Bennett receives news of a wealthy bachelor, Mr. Bingley, moving into town, Mrs. Bennett is over the moon with joy. She soon begins maneuvering her daughters, so that perhaps one of them may be taken off her hands in happy wedlock.

Jane Bennett, beautifully played by the lovely Maureen O'Sullivan, manages to engage Mr. Bingley's heart at a local ball. Elizabeth Bennett, intelligent and articulate, manages to capture the interest of Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley's even wealthier best friend. Greer Garson is superlative in the role of Elizabeth, while Laurence Olivier is perfect in the role of the arrogant, soon to be humbled by love, Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy, drawn to Elizabeth, falls in love with her, but makes a proposal of marriage filled with such snobbery that Elizabeth, who has since discovered that Mr. Darcy had negatively interfered with Jane's romance with Mr. Bingley, is repulsed and turns him down. Elizabeth later finds out through the machinations of Mr. Darcy's aunt, delightfully played with autocratic hauteur by Edna May Oliver, that perhaps she had misjudged Mr. Darcy, and she overcomes her prejudice against him.

Driven by a love that sees him humbled, Mr. Darcy puts away his pride and overcomes the snobbery he initially felt towards the Bennetts. In the face of a great scandal that threatens to eclipse the Bennett household, Mr. Darcy stands steadfast in his love for Elizabeth, and demonstrates it in a way that provides a solution to the impending scandal.

How this comes about and unfolds is a source of pure cinematic delight for the viewer. The dialogue is brilliant and the acting is superb. This is one of Greer Garson's best performances. It is also one of the finest period pieces ever filmed.

How can I not give 5 Stars to Robert Z. Leonard's 1940 version of "Pride and Prejudice?" As a child, this film was my first introduction to Jane Austen. My delight in watching it motivated me to read her novel at an earlier age than I would have normally.

I know that at least three later versions of this classic have been made, one by BBC in 1980, another by A&E in 1995 and the more recent 2005 release with Keira Knightley. I adore all three adaptations, especially the one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. However, even with all this particular movie's anachronisms Greer Garson is magnificent here as Elizabeth Bennet, although she is a bit long in the tooth to be playing a debutante. And Laurence Olivier epitomizes Fitzwilliam Darcy, with his overly proud bearing and manner. (He too is a bit old for the part, as written.). Together, though, they illuminate the screen and exude a special magic. Their charisma, the rare chemistry which captures the audience's imagination and enthralls, allows all else to become possible. That is what an outstanding film is all about - creating belief and enchantment. One might get the impression that this is more a Cinderella story than a comedy of manners and social satire - but that still doesn't detract from the movie's strengths, and there are many.

Leonard's version is not, by any means, a faithful adaptation of Miss Austen's portrayal of morals, mores, marriages and the class system in Georgian England. Scenes have been added: the archery "lesson" - which I loved, and the carriage race. However, to be fair, various scenes were added to Simon Langton's film, most notably the one where Colin Firth takes a swim, and his sword practice. These scenes enrich rather than detract, to my mind. I am not so much of a purest, that a few variations bother me. It is unfortunate that important scenes and sequences at Pemberley, in London, and at Lambton are omitted. Some of my favorite minor characters, like Mr. and Mrs. Gardner, and Georgiana Darcy are absent too. Charlotte Lucas, (Karen Morley), who is an extremely important personage in the novel, plays a very small part here, as do Sir William Lucas and Col. Fitzwilliam. The costumes are not faithful to the period, overly crinolined and too elaborate. And the dialogue makes little use of the author's brilliant language.

So, why am I rating this a top notch film? I already spoke of the brilliance of Garson and Olivier. As for the rest, well, let's look at the story. Word is out, in a small Hertfordshire community, that the empty Netherfield estate has been leased to a new occupant - a wealthy bachelor. Mothers and daughters upset their daily routine, and shatter the local tranquility - buying dress material, sewing, embroidering, planning and fantasizing about balls and marriage. The latest gossip pours from everyone's mouths, at least those of the women, young and older. Nowhere is there more excitement than at the Bennett home, where five very marriageable daughters anticipate news of their neighbor. The Bennett's have a particular reason for wishing their girls settled. Their estate, Longbourn, is entailed. It can only be inherited by a male successor. Since the Bennett's have no son, their entire estate will go to Mr. Bennett's cousin. The girls must be married well and settled, so they will have a secure home when their father dies. If their mother should outlive her spouse, they will have to provide for her also. Marriage is a serious business in this period. The film succeeds in clearly reflecting Ms. Austin's theories on the importance of marriage for women of the period. Most women were not educated, except for the social graces; acquiring, at least, some proficiency in music, needlework and "acceptable" literature, and learning skills essential to running a household. Considerable pressure was placed on women to marry well, to obtain financial security and social position, not just for themselves, but also for their immediate family. Love matches were rare.

An Assembly Ball is held to honor Charles Bingley, (Bruce Lester), the new resident at Netherfield, and for the friends who accompany him. Bingley is very taken with Jane Bennett, (Maureen O'Sullivan), the eldest daughter, and a lovely young woman with a sweet disposition. The feelings are reciprocated and the two form an informal attachment. It is at this ball that Elizabeth Bennett (Ms. Garson), the family's second daughter, meets Bingley's friend, the aristocratic Fitzwilliam Darcy, (Olivier). Darcy, is much wealthier than Bingley. He is a handsome, intelligent man, and the Lord of Pemberly, a large, sumptuous estate in Derbyshire. Darcy, however, is the height of haughtiness when he arrives on the scene, and looks down his noble nose at the local gentry. Elizabeth Bennett, is quite different from most young women of the Regency Period. She has a strong intellect and her father has encouraged her to become literate, and to enjoy fine books and literary conversation. She is bright, spirited, with a sharp wit, more independent than her sisters, and very pretty. Darcy is attracted to her immediately, but snubs her unknowingly. She overhears Darcy explain to Mr. Bingley that he is not dancing because: "There isn't another woman in the room who it wouldn't be a punishment to stand up with." That bit of snobbishness makes him odious to Elizabeth. Then he adds, about Elizabeth herself, "Oh, she's tolerable, I suppose, but I'm in no mood to give consequence to the middle classes." Elizabeth responds in kind, thinking him to be boorish and far too proud. Thus she is prejudiced against him from their first meeting. (I would have smacked his face - but that's me, and I'm no lady)!

Elizabeth and Darcy's strong mutual attraction, and the conflict between them, which prevents them from forming a potentially rich relationship, provide an interesting tension throughout the film. Darcy's proud arrogance in his social class and position, and Elizabeth's prejudice against such haughtiness, seem to inhibit all promise of romance.

The transformation of contempt into mutual friendship, respect and love is a major theme in Ms. Austen's novel, and this is beautifully conveyed here. The aversion, caused by pride and prejudice is later swept away through a series of events, and clear, honest communication between the protagonists, which clears up misunderstandings. Although both Elizabeth and Darcy exhibit both pride and prejudice in the novel, it is clear that Elizabeth is the more prejudiced of the two, and "pride" most especially refers to Darcy. When the they converse at the Netherfield gathering, these correlations are made quite explicit. "You're very puzzling, Mr. Darcy. At this moment it's difficult to believe that you're so...proud. At this moment, it's difficult to believe that you're so prejudiced. Shall we not call quits and start again?"

The ensemble cast is truly extraordinary. As I keep writing, Greer Garson, as an exceptionally cheeky Elizabeth, is fabulous. Her expressive face and gestures frequently communicate her feelings without speaking a single line. I think Laurence Olivier is the best Darcy, or at least his performance is the equal of my favorite, Colin Firth. Olivier's range is great, and even as a proud, haughty man, he is a three dimensional figure. Their acting style has a sensibility that suits the more rigid and formal behavior of the period. Ms. O'Sullivan's Jane is perfection. Miss Austen would approve, I am sure. Ann Rutherford, as the flighty Lydia does a fantastic job, as does Marsha Hunt as the plain, bookish, and absolutely tone deaf Mary. Frieda Inescort is the best Caroline Bingley I have ever seen. She manages to out-haughty even Mr. Darcy with her airs of superiority. Mr. Bennet, (Edmund Gwenn), is superb as the father who errs by distancing himself from his wife and daughters, (silly creatures he calls the women affectionately), with the exception of Elizabeth, his intellectual soul mate. Mary Boland is the flighty, high strung Mrs. Bennet, whose loyalties change with the wind, and who causes her husband to suffer silently. The film doesn't delve into the estrangement between the unlikely pair, but there is still a palpable tension at times between these two, who are so mismatched. The charming, handsome, (if somewhat smarmy), officer, stationed at Meryton, George Wickham, (Edward Ashley), does a fine job of playing the bounder and stirring up trouble. And Mr. Collins', (Melville Cooper), the sycophant cousin whose devotion to the very blue-blooded Lady Catherine de Bourgh, (Edna May Oliver), seems to be his raison d'etre, plays his part to the hilt. I love the scene where he pursues Elizabeth at the picnic.

The screenplay for this film was written by author Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin, and was based on a play, not taken directly from the novel. They place the emphasis on romance and farce, not biting satire. And so this is much more a romantic comedy than the more recent adaptations. It is less true to Jane Austen's work, but it is faithful to her storyline, and succeeds in communicating her most important themes. It is also extraordinary entertainment, with wonderful humor, superior acting, and it stands the test of time. The musical score by Herbert Stothart is exceptional, and it is totally integrated into the film.
JANA

Although I enjoy the 2005 remake, it's tough to best Greer Garson and Lawrence Olivier in 1940 original. It has a wonderful cast and script and transends generations. A must for all classic movie buffs.

I saw this 1940 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice on Turner Classic movies and I thought it was very good. Yes the costumes are definitely American Civil War period and not Regency British but that's a minor flaw because the acting is superb, especially from Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson as Darcy and Lizzy. Yes the A&E production that starred Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and the BBC production that starred David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie are definitely better this older version is very good too and I highly recommend it to open-minded Jane Austen fans.

This adaptation of Jane Austen's novel P&P is definitely not faithful to the original plot. Still I cannot help, but be surprised at the disappointment some of the fellow reviewers expressed over this fact. They seem to have forgotten what film making was in 1940. I am not an expert on the history of film industry, but I am well aware - as opposed to some other reviewers - that it was definitely NOT about staying truthful to the original plot when adapting it on film. As a result, it did not come as a shock for me when I saw it for the first time. On the contrary: I simply accepted that this was the way it used to be and then nothing could stop me from enjoying the film immensely.

I think that the Greer Garson - Laurence Olivier duo as Elizabeth and Darcy was fantastic. Garson was original and spirited and Olivier was attractive and aloof at the same time. The chemistry between them worked just fine. So did the chemistry between Jane and Mr Bingley, excellently characterized by Maureen O'Sullivan and Bruce Lester.

Mary Boland was delightful as Mrs Bennet and Edna May Oliver great as Lady Catherine, it was not her fault that she was given a very different character to play (yes on this point I have to say that her pretending to be formidable while she is good at heart was a bit far-fetched). Frieda Inescort was a deliciously snooty Caroline Bingley.

OK, so the costumes seem like they were borrowed from "Gone with the wind", still, it couldn't destroy the delightful, light atmosphere of the film as a whole. It is a delightful comedy of manners and thus one should treat it as such.

As I type this, the Spotlight Reviews for this film indicate that this 1940 version of the Jane Austen classic changed the story significantly from the novel. Well, I haven't read that novel, nor have I seen the more recent miniseries versions, although a friend says that the BBC/A&E six-hour version is the best thing he's ever seen.

For those of us who are just being introduced to this tale, this is a wonderfully entertaining, fun, witty, clever film. Greer Garson is gorgeous as Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier suitably snotty as Darcy. I really didn't expect this to be such a funny movie, and was very pleasantly surprised. It's the story of a time almost 200 years ago when women were practically destitute without a man to support them, and a nearly elderly couple with five daughters who are forced by family charter to hand over the family fortune to a male relative...a suck-up cousin who just needs to be slapped. Therefore the daughters simply MUST find wealthy husbands.

While I can understand the misgivings about the altered ending of the story, and that this film's need for a 1940 Hollywood happy ending makes less sense than the original, it's a pleasant feel-good movie and unless you're a stickler for Austen you'll enjoy it. Edna May Oliver, one of filmdom's all-time great pickle-faces, is as wonderful here as she was in the equally enjoyable 1933 version of "Little Women" with Katherine Hepburn. Add in the fact that the costumes are so artful in this version of "Pride and Prejudice," the actresses seeming to glide across the ground beneath them, and you have an absolute treat. Highly recommended, and one of the NY Times' "1000 best films ever made."