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Pride & Prejudice
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by 20th Century Fox
Sales Rank: 9812
Price: $24.98
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In Jane Austen's classic novel <I>Pride and Prejudice</I>, the arrival of a young, well-off, eligible man named Mr. Bingley sends the Bennet household--with five girls of a marrying age--into a tizzy. But it's the introduction of Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy (played with an imperious scowl by David Rintoul), that sets in motion the fate of Elizabeth Bennet (the adorable Elizabeth Garvie), resolved only after a labyrinth of social and personal complexities. Austen's novels are miracles of skillful plotting, fusing a rich understanding of psychological motivation with whimsical turns of chance. This superb BBC adaptation from 1980 zips along, thanks to lively performances, fluid direction, and a keen grasp of the wit of Austen's dialogue (expertly translated to the screen by British novelist Fay Weldon) and her satirical characters, who range from clever and kind to utterly odious. Due to its faithfulness and deep appreciation of the material, this five-episode miniseries stands up against any other film or television adaptation (at least nine to date), though Rintoul may not sets hearts aflutter the way Colin Firth did in the also excellent 1995 miniseries. <I>--Bret Fetzer</I>
Viewer Reviews
This version might be called The Purist's Version of P&P. I saw this when it originally aired on Masterpiece Theatre in 1980 and bought the video shortly thereafter. It is now worn out from repeated viewing, so I'm happy that the DVD is now available.
Essentially, I think this version (vs. the Colin Firth A&E version) adheres to the novel better and to the spirit of Jane Austen. While I enjoy that version and Mr. Firth, it includes scenes not in the novel, has a more modern sensibility and is more overtly romantic (though not as romantic as the 2005 version).
I believe Jane Austen's words are the real joy of this version. They come alive and absolutely sparkle in the hands of these actors! In addition, there are two characters that I believe are distinctly better in this version: Lady Catherine is delicious and infuriating, and Mr. Collins is a comic gem of a performance. The first proposal scene is I believe word for word from the novel and played to perfection. David Rintoul's Darcy may not be as accessible to modern audiences as Colin Firth's, but I believe Rintoul's performance is more subtle and closer to Austen's intent. I like the narration in this version giving voice to Elizabeth's (and Austen's) inner thoughts, which are always clever and insightful.
Highly recommended.
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