Pride-d and Prejudice-d

Saw Pride and Prejudice with my sis at Tampines Mall and realized it's been a really long time since I last saw a classic literature film that stayed true to the text. (Last one I remember is Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing from lit class last year.) It reminded me why I like classic lit films so much.

These films are usually set in that era of history where there was a certain protocol of behaving such as the automatic way the men stand when a woman enters, or when a woman leaves the table. Ah, the debonair gentleman. The language is classic, sometimes poetic. It's hilarious that even when they are being insulting they speak with such poise, manners and subtlety that you wouldn't realize it's an insult unless you're listening closely.

And I'm so going to wherever they filmed. The scenery is fantastic, with a great use of lighting to accent the beauty of each place.

Lizzie's younger sisters have such a desperation in them that would put any frequent member of dating services to shame. They flirt with every single male, and beg their parents to invite more males over. And obviously the Mrs. Bennet is just as desperate to sell marry her daughters off.
It's the classic tale of feminism not falling into the norm of her society, and falls in love with the charming male protagonist who doesn't impose any restrictions or expectations on her. While the storyline has been used by writers for a long, long time (with odd variations along the way), Mr. Darcy has always been one of the Prides of male protagonists in English literature. And since Matthew MacFayden looks positively charming (with a hint of a Heathcliff-ish tortured rogue in him), it's easy to see why Kiera Knightly's Lizze Bennet could fall for him.

Go watch Pride and Prejudice, if anything, to remember how classic lit makes for great film when it stays true to the time and place.