Which is the superior ‘Pride and Prejudice’ adaptation?
It has been 20 years since Joe Wright’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice first hit cinemas, and 30 since the BBC aired its hugely popular miniseries. But, the question still stands—which version is superior?
Published in 1813, the classic tale has been adapted various times over the years, from a faithful movie version in 1940 featuring Laurence Olivier, to adding a horror spin, as in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in 2016. Yet, the 1995 and 2005 versions are widely considered the best, and several decades later, you can still find fans arguing online over which one reigns supreme.
Let’s start with faithfulness to the book and historical accuracy. This is where the 1995 version comes out on top, with the six-episode series allowing viewers 327 minutes to immerse themselves in the story, compared to the film’s runtime of 127 minutes. Thus, key scenes from the book can be explored in greater detail in the BBC version, giving more weight to the complicated relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. In the 2005 adaptation, Darcy reveals his love for Lizzie by proposing in the rain halfway into the film. While a beautiful scene full of yearning and even a knuckle-bitingly intense almost-kiss, it feels sudden compared to the lengthy will-they-won’t-they slow burn executed perfectly in the 1995 version.
Over the course of the six-episode series, we get to know more about the brooding Darcy, who is often caught watching Lizzie in social situations, the camera lingering on his uncertain face. On the other end, Matthew Macfayden’s portrayal of Darcy in the film is undoubtedly a strong performance and is more likeable and charming compared to Colin Firth’s, who is ultimately more prideful and reserved throughout.
Similarly, Keira Knightley’s Lizzie is memorable, but Jennifer Ehle’s take on the protagonist feels more headstrong and fleshed out, with her pridefulness coming across in equal measure. At times, Ehle’s Lizzie can be just as arrogant and judgmental as Darcy, while Knightley remains more youthful and romantic. While they both do a great job at playing the iconic protagonist, Ehle takes the cake with her well-rounded portrayal—her version of Lizzie is more devoted to sisterhood, friendship, and independence.
As for the supporting characters, you can’t fault Donald Sutherland as the doting father in the 2005 interpretation, although Alison Steadman’s take on Mrs Bennet in the BBC miniseries remains the best. She is perfectly over dramatic and annoying, often getting hysterical and embarrassing her daughters as she attempts to set them up; her performance remains a true standout in the show. Brenda Blethyn’s take on the Bennet sisters’ mother is commendable, but the BBC version ultimately gives more importance to the role that the parents play in the sisters’ lives, which cannot be underestimated.
The relationship between Mr and Mrs Bennet is vital to understanding the desperation they feel in getting their daughters paired off, and their marriage is also not an easy one. The tension between them is felt more strongly in the BBC version, providing apt context for Lydia’s eager engagement to Wickham, for example. The role of Wickham is significantly less in Wright’s movie, too, while the miniseries spends a large chunk of time setting him up as a potential suitor for Lizzie, only for us to discover that he has deceived her, as well as us. He is one of the most unlikeable characters in the story, but the genius of Austen’s story is that he initially seems charming, tricking us into believing that he is a good man, and the BBC version reveals his deception in a way that feels like a genuine plot twist.
There are other key elements of the story that Wright chose to forego in his version, like the absence of Louisa Hurst, the sister of Charles and Caroline Bingley, who plays a major role in egging on the animosity between Caroline and the Bennets. Of course, when condensing a book into a film, certain scenes and characters will have to be left out, but you can’t help but feel like several important parts of the story are simply missing.
That’s not to say that the 2005 version is bad by any means—in fact, it’s great. It features some truly romantic moments that feel considerably more cinematic and epic than the 1995 version. I mean, who can forget the hand flex scene after Macfadyen’s Darcy helps Lizzie into the carriage? What about when he walks through the misty air as Dario Marianelli’s gorgeous score plays, ready to propose for the second time? Moreover, Macfayden’s vulnerable delivery of “Surely, you must know it was all for you”, and “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you” are perfect, and it’s no wonder viewers continuously return to these scenes, and the movie.
The cinematography is beautiful, allowing us to soak up the gorgeous countryside and the elaborately built stately homes in all of their grandeur. There are some truly artful moments as well, like when Lizzie looks at the statues at Darcy’s estate and stares at the veiled woman sculpture, coming to realise that she needs to lift the veil from her eyes and accept Darcy for who he is. Wright’s film is a great and often subtle encapsulation of the book’s themes of desire. However, it is ultimately the BBC version that remains more faithful, both in story and its humorous tone, as well as giving us the slow-burning build towards Lizzie and Darcy’s relationship that, therefore, just works so much better.
There is beauty to be found in both versions, and with the announcement that there will be a new Pride and Prejudice miniseries coming to Netflix in the near future, it will be interesting to see if this will join the 1995 and 2005 interpretations to form an unofficial holy trinity of adaptations of Austen’s iconic story. For now, it seems as though the BBC version and the 2005 movie will continue to battle it out for the crown, but who are we really kidding? The 1995 miniseries will always come out on top.
