It's All About Pride and Prejudice

Credits - Dario Marianelli 

I agree with many Austen purists out there that the best adaption of Pride and Prejudice would be the 1995 BBC series staring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Oh Colin Firth...how that man looks even better now a decade later is beyond me. I digress. I have to say, though the 2005 film version strayed from the always safe path of sticking to the books, it did an excellent job of translating the book onto the big screen in its own fashion. Keira Knightley was of course, as gorgeous as ever as the witty Lizzy and had great chemistry with her co-star, Matthew McFayden, who was still a great Darcy though no Colin Firth if you know what I mean. The Bennets were a wonderful and warm lot, but did you know Carey Mulligan was "Kitty" back then? I'm slapping myself for not noticing her before An Education. Then again, she didn't have much of a role in the film. I mean Lydia has her big moment with Wickham and Mary gets the chance to bang on the piano at the ball, but her? Nothing much. Moving on, Tom Hollander was most wonderful as the hilariously awkward Mr. William Collins, minister and cousin of the Bennets.  But the best thing of all? The jaw-droppingly beautiful locations featured on the film, as well as the the neutral palette and exquisite simplicity of the dresses worn.



I must have watched this film on the DVD more than dozen times now but It never gets old. Remember that awesome, "I've found it" giddy feeling I mentioned in the last post on Midnight in Paris? Well I feel it every single time I watch this film without fail. I am still trying to figure what exactly makes watching this film such an incredible experience. Is it the great acting? The lush cinematography? The inspiring soundtrack? The arresting sets? The elegant costumes? The timeless romance storyline? The spot-on directing? I think it encompasses a bit of everything, which is why this film will continue to last into the future, never to be forgotten, to be watched again and again with great enthusiasm. I suppose I should stop gushing now and move to things other than praise. But I don't have to describe plot do I? I think this the best love story written ever (better than Romeo and Juliet in my opinion, and Butterfly Lovers coming to a close second). I have to admit I didn't like Austen so much in the very beginning, partly because I've started on the wrong foot by choosing to read Emma for summer reading when I was twelve. However, Pride and Prejudice was really something I could bite into. I see a bit of my quickness to judge, my obstinacy and a penchant for reading. Sadly sans a Darcy of my own of course.

I forgot which blog I read it from, but I too notice this Sofia Coppola-esque return to dreamy romanticism in terms of both shape and colours. Maybe it's summer and we all like to wear lighter colours for the hotter weather, but even the king of all things dark and edgy, aka Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, included in his fall 2010 couture collection many dresses in luminescent pale gold and white in soft, sheer chiffon/tulle-like fabrics. This theme is echoed equally in Pride & Prejudice in their use of similarly lightweight though less luxe fabrics like cotton or linen. This new romantic turn of things seems to be not just a trend. It certainly is not like the fun but gaudy and over-the-top grand ballgowns of Marie-Antoinette of the film circa 2006, but more of the simple silhouettes and muted shades of this film. This new minimalism of both colour and shape must have been inherited from Céline but perhaps, instead of the stiff, super-tailored, structured looks, the lines and the cut of clothes have been softened up quite a bit. The take home message here however isn't about this romantic revival in trends but rather that there is much beauty in the unembellished and the unadorned. It means shying away from the harsh metal studs, acid washed denim and ripped garments from Balmain. It means paring things down, and don something natural and organic, not fabric-wise, but rather the overall general quality of the garment needs to feel comfortable and not jarring in the least. Then everything you wear will last, and be as classic and timeless as this unforgettable love story.

Via

And one last note, please get the soundtrack for this film. Dario Marianelli really works his magic here and the glorious music is perfect for a day spent on a shaded bench reading (the same goes for the soundtrack of Atonement, another Joe Wright production). Have a wonderful weekend.