Jane Austen lovers, Pride & Prejudice fans in particular have been debating over which adaptation of the book that was originally released in 1813 is the superior version. There have been many different book to screen adaptations made but the debate is between the two most well-known and popular ones; the 1995 TV series by the BBC and the 2005 film.
Both are faithful adaptations of the Jane Austen classic, but which one is better depends on what you are looking for.
Starting with which version of Mr. Darcy you deem superior. Both actors bring different perspectives and interpretations of the seemingly arrogant Darcy. Colin Firth who plays Darcy in the BBC version took a different approach than Matthew Macfadyen who plays him in the movie.
Firth played Darcy as an individual who appears to be prideful and arrogant for the reason that he is incredibly shy, while being shy Darcy still follows all the rules of society, making the moment when he finally marries Elizabeth after overcoming his arrogance and inner turmoil that much sweeter. Macfadyen on the other hand played Darcy as a socially awkward individual this choice causes his version of Darcy to make missteps in following all the rules of society, while many find this trait adorable, it can take away from the pride of Darcy and his internal struggle with the idea of marrying below his status making the ending less sweet.
Another debated upon aspect of the film and the series, who was the best Elizabeth Bennet? Like the actors who played Darcy the actresses who portrayed Elizabeth each took their own interpretation from the novel. Keira Knightly played Elizabeth in the movie, and made her significantly more passionate and feisty than she was in the novel, while Jennifer Ehle who played Elizabeth in the series took a softer approach, while still showcasing Elizabeth’s personality.
One of the things that makes the novel so beautiful is how both of the characters are flawed. Elizabeth has prejudice towards Darcy that she had difficulty overcoming, and Darcy is arrogant and has difficulty letting go of his pride, but they help each other to be better versions of themselves. Elizabeth realizes that her original assessment of Darcy was wrong, and Darcy realizes that Elizabeth had every right to call him out on his pride and changes for the better. In the movie this journey the characters go on is more romanticized and Darcy’s flaws especially are downplayed. The message is still there but the work both characters had to do to end up together isn’t highlighted as much as it is in the book and the series.
While the movie and the series both follow the plot of the novel the BBC version is the more faithful version, while the movie is slightly different, sometimes changing characters, locations, and sequence of events, etc. to make the viewing experience more enjoyable. For example an issue that some might deem insignificant, being the number of sisters Mr. Bingley has. In the novel there are two present throughout; Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst. The series follows this, but the movie does not. In the movie Bingley only has one sister Caroline who is supposed to be both sisters combined into one which takes away from the original dynamic between the characters and changes Caroline’s personality. The movie also changed certain locations for better aesthetics and changed minor details that might not matter to an average viewer, as well as cutting scenes in order to fit the entire story into two hours and seven minutes.
The cinematography of both films are also incredibly different. The movie is more aesthetically pleasing with a variety of camera shots. Whereas the TV series is more simple. This is partly due to the advancement in technology between when the series came out and the filming of the movie. It also has to do with the fact that the movie changed some locations of certain scenes to make them more pleasing. An example of this being Darcy’s first proposal, in the TV version it takes place in the drawing room of the Collinses home (Hunsford Parsonage) like it does in the novel. In the movie however it takes place in the iconic rain scene in Stourhead Gardens, which is more pleasing to the eye.
If you are looking for an exact book to screen adaptation then the BBC adaptation is the way to go, but if you are looking for the same story but are watching for romance and aesthetics and don’t mind small changes then the 2005 movie is the best option. Both promise an enjoyable experience with the classic novel played out on screen.
