Pride and Prejudice

Okay, you may remember awhile back, Southern Oregon Tracy and I had a little blogger spar about which BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice" (P&P) was the best. I was at a disadvantage. I hadn't seen her favorite version, and she hadn't seen mine. We both loved each of our versions. We also added to the mix the recent Hollywood version, with Keira Knightley. She and I agreed to watch them all, and then see. She saw my version and we spoke about it awhile ago.

I am all caught up with my P&P viewing. Here are my thoughts:

1) I still love my version the best. It is the version with Colin Firth. Truly, the only reason, the cinematography. It is not set on a stage like the 1980 version that Tracy loves.

2) Tracy's version has tons of redeeming qualities. Foremost in my mind, the character development. Oh my gosh, the secondary characters are well developed and well understood. I truly believe that P&P would not be the extraordinary story without those secondary characters and story lines. I absolutely love the development of the sister who is the bookworm. Much better developed in Tracy's version than mine. In my version she is bookish and lacks confidence. In Tracy's version she is bookish and preachy, and it's much funnier and a better version of that sister.

Same for the Lady Catherine DeBerg character. Oh my! How incredible that character is developed. I don't like how the confrontation at the end between her and Elizabeth goes. It is a little too proper. In my favorite version it is quite heated and dramatic. I think in general, my version is a little less formal and has a lot more emotion and drama.

3) One point about the story is that Elizabeth is not as pretty as her sister Jane. Tracy says in my version Elizabeth is too pretty. I think in her version, Elizabeth is too pretty as well.

4) Wow, Mr. Darcy. The Mr. Darcy in Tracy's version is such a drill sergeant. Yes, I know Mr. Darcy is supposed to be a cold, distant, arrogant, etc. person. But my word! He is so extreme that it is almost unbelievable to me when he softens at the end. It is hard to believe him when he says his famous line at the end, "If you're feelings for me are the same.....as for me, mine are unchanged. One word from you will silence me forever." Really? I didn't believe it. But when he was in extreme mode, he was very believable and even more pompous and insulting.

5) How can you not love Colin Firth? Really. Need I say more?

6) Okay, I must say something about the two hour Keira Knightley version. Keep in mind, the two versions Tracy and I love are six hour miniseries. The Hollywood Keira version is two hours. There is barely any secondary character development, if any. If you don't know the whole story, those story lines are barely there and easily missed.

I do like the Mr. Darcy of this version, he is broody and surly. Yet, softens up well. I don't like the ending at all. I don't like that Lady Catherine DeBerg has her big spat with Elizabeth by intruding in her house in the middle of the night. Lady Catherine is a woman of higher standards than to visit commoners in the middle of the night for a verbal confrontation. Then Keira is so upset and goes walking in her nightie and just so happens to bump into Mr. Darcy? So many rules of decorum are broken for the dramatic effect. Nope. Sorry.

Anyway, I recommend both BBC versions. I like the late 80's one with Colin Firth the best. Tracy likes the 1980 BBC version best. We'll just have to agree to disagree.