(Non-spoiler review)

What happens when you take one of the most beloved works of classical romantic literature, one that has been given an amazing 5 hour miniseries treatment, and reimagine it with new stars but less than half the screen time? Surprisingly, despite some flaws, it turns out to be a very pleasant theatrical experience.

The biggest complaint I have about director Joe Wright’s version of Pride and Prejudice is the time factor. Why make a 2 hour version of a movie that requires a crash course introduction to the characters when adding 30-45 minutes could have done wonders in making the first third of this film far less confusing? I have to admit that I am extremely enamored of the A&E/BBC version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. It is extremely faithful to the book and allows the viewer the time to get to know the Bennet family and all the other important characters in all their flawed glory. I had predetermined that I was not going to see this new version out of loyalty to the other but I love period romantic movies and being a holiday weekend it was a perfect movie to go see as a family. I am so glad that I had seen the miniseries a few times. The reason being that the several hours of that version, equating to several chapters of Jane Austen’s novel, flash by on the screen with little chance of comprehension if you are not familiar with the source material. To be fair, this new version makes no bones about the fact that it simply wants to concentrate on the relationship between the main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Even this, however, is very rushed at first and I was thankful that I had the background to better understand the antagonism between these two characters.

Again, this is my biggest complaint. Other than the first third of the movie having to cover far too much ground I really enjoyed this film. Keep in mind throughout the review that I would give the BBC version a full 5 out of 5 stars. I would give the latest version of Pride and Prejudice 4. I would love to see these actors and actresses given a decent amount of time to handle this source material as the cast was wonderful. I prefer Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as the leads but Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden were fantastic. The gave a slightly younger energy to the roles and despite the time/editing constraints they had a very believable chemistry throughout the film. Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn were terrific as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Again though I felt like the roles suffered some due to the lack of time to flesh out the characters. My foreknowledge of the characters went a long way towards my ability to understand them on the screen but I’d love to hear what others thought who are not familiar with the story. Particularly in regards to Sutherland’s Mr. Bennet. Alison Steadman and Benjamin Whithrow were marvelous in the 1995 miniseries. In that version the roles were played more strongly to their comic element and in some ways I actually prefer this version. The characters are still very funny but Sutherland and Blethyn made the characters seem much more real and less one dimensional. The joy of any of Jane Austen’s works is the wit and satire of her language and Sutherland and Blethyn did not get the screen time necessary to revel in their many wonderful lines. One of my favorite scenes in this version is a conversation late in the movie between Elizabeth and her father…I like the emotional resonance in it much better than the BBC version.

The turning point of this film, for me, came in the second ball scene…the one held at Mr. Bingley’s estate. Mr. Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance and their repartee during the dance is terrific and Joe Wright films this scene in such a remarkable way that I was sucked into the film. It is a fantastic moment in the movie. There are several other wonderfully filmed moments, one of the best being an outdoor scene where Darcy and Elizabeth have a very heated exchange. Wright picked an outstanding location…lots of beautiful green trees and land with rain falling down…that really adds alot to the scene. Another thing I really enjoyed about this version is that the settings were slightly darker than the BBC version. The Bennet home better depicted their social status giving better understanding as to why Mr. Darcy would object to any relationship that would require ties to the Bennet family.

The only other complaint I have is the fact that the screenwriter, in the interest of trimming material to fit the time constraints of the film, squashed scenes and settings together that are actually more powerful and entertaining in the more faithful BBC version.

Ultimately what it may come down to in regards to preference is which version you’ve seen first. I am happy that I went and saw this version and I will definitely check it out again when it comes out on DVD. The cast was great and there were several terrific scenes. The settings of the film were beautiful and the soundtrack was wonderful. If you are a fan of period pieces I highly recommend this film…but don’t let it be your only exposure to Jane Austen. Read the book and/or see the BBC version to experience all the marvelous nuances of her work.