Write an essay explaining why this movie should be viewed or why it should be avoided
Jane Austen wrote and published her famous novels in 19th century and one might have expected them to seem outdated for the 21st century audience. Far from this being the case, her works are still read today and are repeatedly made into movies. One of the most recent films based on Jane Austen novel is Pride and Prejudice from 2005 starring Keira Knightley. The movie does not disappoint those familiar with Jane Austen’s work and at the same time can be watched agreeably even by an audience unaware of either the literature or the history of 19th century Europe.
As Ken Tucker mentions in his review of the movie entitled “The Lady Vanquishes” for the New York Observer “the movie has moments of true Austen shrewdness” (visit http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/14965/). It remains loyal to the spirit of the novel and the often sarcastic sense of humor of Jane Austen. The English landscapes are magical and the photography and direction very successful. Keira Knightley is a convincing, charming and clever Elizabeth Bennet. Her wit is often in sharp contrast to her fragile figure. Most of the supportive roles are also excellently portrayed, most notable of which is Donald Sutherland as Elizabeth’s father and the always impeccable Judi Dench as the insufferable Lady Catherine.
The weakness of the film seems to be its length. In just two hours, the pace is sometimes hasty and those who have read the book will find that scenes they might have liked to see were omitted. “The movie has no time for such felicities” laments Ken Tucker in “The Lady Vanquishes” as he recalls a favorite novel scene.
Nevertheless, Pride and Prejudice remains a good film. It is entertaining, with intelligent humor and a radiant protagonist. It possesses therefore, everything or at least almost everything a film needs!
