Pride & Prejudice | 
 enlarge | Director: Joe Wright (iv)
Actors: Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $5.99
You Save: $8.99 (60%)
New (56) Used (32) from $5.99
Rating:  932 reviews
Sales Rank: 155
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 129
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 61028072
UPC: 025192807220
EAN: 0025192807220
ASIN: B000E1ZBGS
Theatrical Release Date: November 23, 2005
Release Date: February 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: **BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED**
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Amazon.com
Literary adaptations just don't get any better than director Joe Wright's 2005 version of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. The key word here is adaptation, because Wright and gifted screenwriter Deborah Moggach have taken liberties with Austen's classic novel that purists may find objectionable, but in this exquisite film their artistic decisions are entirely justified and exceptionally well executed. It's a more rural England that we see here, circa 1790 (as opposed to Austen's early 19th century), in which Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) is one of several sisters primed for marriage, with an anxious mother (Brenda Blethyn) only too desperate to see her daughters paired off with the finest, richest husbands available. Elizabeth is strong-willed and opinionated, but her head (not to mention her pride and prejudice) lead her heart astray when she meets the wealthy Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), whose own sense of decency and discretion (not to mention his pride and prejudice) prevent him from expressing his mutual affection. They're clearly meant for each other, and as Knightley's performance lights up the screen (still young enough to be girlishly impertinent, yet wise beyond her 20 years), Austen's timeless romance yields yet another timeless adaptation, easily on par with the beloved BBC miniseries that has been embraced by millions since originally broadcast in 1995. Individual tastes will vary as to which version should be considered "definitive," but with a stellar supporting cast including Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland, this impeccable production achieves its own kind of perfection. --Jeff Shannon
Description
One of the greatest love stories of all time, Pride & Prejudice, comes to the screen in a glorious new adaptation starring Keira Knightley. When Elizabeth Bennett (Knightley) meets the handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen), she believes he is the last man on earth she could ever marry. But as their lives become intertwined in an unexpected adventure, she finds herself captivated by the very person she swore to loathe for all eternity. Based on the beloved masterpiece by Jane Austen, it is the classic tale of love and misunderstanding that sparkles with romance, wit and emotional force. Critics are calling it "Exhilarating. A joy from start to finish" (Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 927 more reviews...
clash of cultures/modern versus regency September 3, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Just for fun, I watched the Director's commentary with the film and now understand why watching this film is like looking through a broken kaleidoscope. It starts with birds chirping on a beautiful landscape, moves to an odd close up, over the shoulder, of a book Lizzie is reading, but you can't see the title of, then has her walking over a FILTHY duck pond into a working farm house, eavesdropping on her parents.
The whole movie goes back and forth between modern use of cameras against a backdrop of regency styles. The family, the costumes, the houses, are all regency, while the camera work fractures the story-telling with its movement from harshly lit close ups to single hand held shots. In the commentary, even the director admits Dame Judy Dench looks awful in her close ups when she comes to visit Lizzie in the middle of the night to confront her about Darcy's proposal. He talks about getting ideas on the way to filming different scenes - like the sunlit close up of Lizzie when she travels to Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle came to him when he put his head out the car door in the sunlight when he was going to a film location.
This story seems filmed a bit off the hip, or off the cuff - improvised!
I still love it. The unspoiled landscapes are gorgeous. From the Longbourne house with its moat and surrounding wildlife and even the farm life to the gorgeous grecian temple in Wiltshire - I will try to go there now that I know where it is - where Darcy proposes makes me melt to the cadence of Matthew MacFadyen's voice. I want to go there just to listen to the echoes of the scene - in the rain, of course. He is a revelation as Darcy, although I can also picture him in modern terms as a spy in his series Spooks. But he is fun and sexy. The close up of his hand after he touches Elizabeth helping her into the carriage is glorious.
I would recommend listening to the directors comments about ALL his casting choices, what he feels about their performances, the design of the sets, and how he made his decisions in telling the story. (the ribbon dyeing scene is wonderful).
So I would recommend this film to anyone. But I would caution them that it is a clash of sensibilities - modern and regency.
Thanks for making it.
Emily Linden, RN, BA.
 Pride and Prejudice August 31, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
The product came in excellent condition and arrived even more quickly than I expected. The price certainly was better than I have seen anywhere else, too. I have not had any problems with Amazon previously, so this just reaffirms my trust. Thanks
 Very Pretty -- but Disappointing August 30, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Being an annual reader of Pride and Prejudice and a lover of Jane Austen's humor and insight, I found this film to be at best disappointing. Austen's humor was lost in translation to say the least. Elizabeth Bennet was morphed into a dreamy eyed, slightly naughty, tousled haired temptress. Her father, Mr. Bennet, was, despite the acting talents of Donald Sutherland, transformed into a frousled, woolly, bumbling father who simply didn't know how to be a parent. All that aside, the photography is lovely, the costumes are beautiful, and the soundtrack is delightful, but this simply isn't Jane Austen. For a proper film version of this wonderful book try the A&E version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle or the BBC. The A&E version may six one-hour episodes, but, with minor alterations, it's magnificently produced, witty, beautifully acted, and absolutely true to the book and entirely in keeping with Austen's writing.
Beauty, Romance . . . What's Not To Love? August 28, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I don't claim to be an expert on the novels of Jane Austen and don't judge this adaptation according to the original story or any previous versions. Focusing on this 2005 film version starring Keira Knightly as Elizabeth, I found it filled with beauty, romance, music and breathtaking scenery. The casting is nearly perfect as each of the characters comes to life in a highly believable manner. Knightly does an extraordinary job at expressing her love of her sisters (even the kooky younger girls) and her father, along with her initial distaste for Darcy.
I particularly enjoyed the peformances of Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Darcy, and the appearance of Dame Judy Dench. It's a championship moment when Elizabeth stands up to her in the middle of the night--as good as her romantic scenes with Darcy.
Everything about this film make it a period piece that completely capsulizes a point in time and a classic work of fiction. I will watch it again and again and again.
 Pretty, but rushed August 17, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I just watched this version of P&P with low expectations, having viewed the definitive BBC version at least 20 times, and assuming this one would fall far short. I was right... although I admit I did enjoy watching it. Cinematically, it is quite beautiful - there is no dearth of luscious landscapes, interesting camera work, and gorgeous people. (The two leads are, perhaps, a bit TOO good looking...) It certainly looks better than anything the BBC could come up with. But in all other respects, it's so inferior as to make comparisons pointless. The story is rushed to the point that major characters and plot points are glossed over, crises unfold and are resolved much too hastily, and personalities are not well developed. Macfaydan, while undeniably GORGEOUS, is no Mr. Darcy. He comes across as quiet, reserved, just there. There is none of the arrogance, the disdain, the contempt that makes the character initially so unlikable, and therefore his big "transformation" doesn't really occur. Knightly is not bad, but her Elizabeth isn't really fleshed out much, either. Her relationship with her sisters, her father, Mr. Wickham, all of these are barely developed. And the two leads don't share enough screen time together to even make their romance believable.
This movie is purely for the casual viewer looking for a pretty, romantic period film. For lovers of Pride and Prejudice, the book or the miniseries, it's just another so-so version to add to the heap.
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