Comments on: Pride and Prejudice: 1995 vs. 2005

By: Govindini Murty

Govindini Murty — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:59:28 +0000

David – I thought Welles did an excellent job with Kafka’s “The Trial.” The cast was perfect – Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau, Welles himself – and the Eastern European settings (I wonder if there was a critique of Eastern European Communism here) were eerie and uncanny. I thought it was photographed and edited superbly with claustrophobic scenes that conveyed perfectly the labyrinthine madness that the hero finds himself trapped in.

By: Jason Apuzzo

Jason Apuzzo — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:29:40 +0000

Mike!!! I’ve been trying to reach you! Thanks for writing in!

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:33:46 +0000

My problem with the Olivier-Gerson is for some reason the movie is moved into the early Victorian era.

By: Prehistoric Woman

Prehistoric Woman — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:26:34 +0000

David, I agree with your wife … Colin Firth is a fine Mr. Darcy, handsome, intelligent, and suitably arrogant. However, he needs a little more warmth and charm, in my opinion.

I agree with Trojan Horse that the best Mr. Darcy is Laurence Olivier. Olivier’s Darcy is handsome, intelligent, and also arrogant (or as they would say in the old days, proud), but with considerable charm, warmth, and wit as well so we understand why Elizabeth falls in love with him.

By: Trojan Horse

Trojan Horse — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:43:35 +0000

Excellent piece David. I agree that the 1995 “Pride and Prejudice” is much better than the 2005 version.

That said, I believe that the best “Pride and Prejudice” ever is the classic Hollywood version starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. The writing, acting, and directing are perfect.

By: Alli

Alli — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:29:57 +0000

Oh God, thank you. I found the 2005 version of P&P toe-curlingly bad. Having read the book many times, I find the Jennifer Ehle version to be completely wonderful and true in spirit to the novel.

By: kishke

kishke — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:48:10 +0000

I’ve never seen the 1995 film version of P&P; I suppose I will now. I agree, though, that the best part of the 2005 version was watching Keira Knightley.

By: GhaleonQ

GhaleonQ — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:20:33 +0000

I think Dostoevskii adaptations have punched far above their weight.

The greatest animator ever, Aleksandr Petrov, brilliantly painted an oil-on-glass The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tin6ScqzKCc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsRhDy0SkYY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqzQEmkVh_U Petr Zelenka’s “Karamazovs” pares down The Brothers Karamazov to put it on stage and ends up being genuinely moving. Akira Kurosawa’s version of The Idiot is secretly quite good. Andrzej Wajda did a good version of Demons called “The Possessed.” Brad Anderson transplanted The Double: A Petersburg Poem to the U.S. in The Machinist. Robert Wiene’s “Raskolnikow” is a crazy version of Crime And Punishment.

All of these actually add to the works without (of course, in my opinion) supplanting them. Plus, you know, the author’s actually worth reading. *throws down gauntlet* Kidding.

By: K

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:09:46 +0000

Very nice piece, David.

Re: C.S. Forrester, Cornell Woolrich, Pierre Boileau and Pierre Ayraud, Robert Bloch . . . . . Philip K. Dick?

By: Tweets that mention Pride and Prejudice: 1995 vs. 2005 » LFM: Libertas Film Magazine -- Topsy.com

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:07:25 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mr. K, Libertas Film Mag. Libertas Film Mag said: "Pride and Prejudice": 1995 vs. 2005 … See: http://bit.ly/buAbPu [...]