Review of Pride and Prejudice (1940) by Russl. — 15 Dec 2005

In a competitive field this production lacks the qualities that made the 1995 production with Jennefer Ehle and Colin Firth so remarkable. Darcy is unappealing; the camera lingers so long on Keira Knightley that it begins to look feel more like a promotional vehicle than a film, and the atmosphere of Austen, writing about 18th century morals and manners, can't survive the hectic pace, noticeable immediately during the first ball where the music is reminiscent of the New York Philharmonic strutting its stuff rather than a small eighteenth century orchestra recruited for a country ball.

In this production the book is a excuse to mount an extravagant Hollywood romance. If that suits your taste, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're more interested in these interesting characters and the class complexties of 200 years ago, you'll probably feel shortchanged.