Product Description

Jane Austen's witty and romantic novel springs vividly to life! This realistic production truly captures all the nuances of the 18th century life among the English gentry a society obsessed with profitable marriage contracts. When the wealthy and aloof Mr. Darcy insults Elizabeth Bennet at a dance the tension and romance of their relationship is sparked while the family beauty Jane attracts the attention of a gentleman presumed to be above her station. Her flirtatious younger sister Lydia lands herself in a steamy scandal that could ruin the reputation and chances of all the Bennet sisters.Running Time: 226 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 794051168726

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4418 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-08-24
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Original recording remastered, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 265 minutes

Amazon.com
In Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice, the arrival of a young, well-off, eligible man named Mr. Bingley sends the Bennet household--with five girls of a marrying age--into a tizzy. But it's the introduction of Mr. Bingley's friend, Mr. Darcy (played with an imperious scowl by David Rintoul), that sets in motion the fate of Elizabeth Bennet (the adorable Elizabeth Garvie), resolved only after a labyrinth of social and personal complexities. Austen's novels are miracles of skillful plotting, fusing a rich understanding of psychological motivation with whimsical turns of chance. This superb BBC adaptation from 1980 zips along, thanks to lively performances, fluid direction, and a keen grasp of the wit of Austen's dialogue (expertly translated to the screen by British novelist Fay Weldon) and her satirical characters, who range from clever and kind to utterly odious. Due to its faithfulness and deep appreciation of the material, this five-episode miniseries stands up against any other film or television adaptation (at least nine to date), though Rintoul may not sets hearts aflutter the way Colin Firth did in the also excellent 1995 miniseries. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

#3
Well, love the book, but this adaptation is my least favorite after 2005 and 1995 (Colin Firth) versions. I am a strong believer in a great sexual attraction between Elizabeth and Darcy (after all, what else could have attracted a rich man to a poor girl in those days?). Didn't see any chemistry between them in this film. Darcy was so stiff, I couldn't find anything attractive about him, whereas I fantacise (A LOT!) about Colin Firth's and Matthew McFayden's Darcys. Elizabeth Bennett is nice enought, cute and witty, but appeared a litlle gold-diggerish in this version. Didn't like how Lydia's storyline was portrayed either. But overall worth watching
Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1980)

My favorite Pride & Prejudice
I originally watched this version on Masterpiece Theatre in the early 1980s and am so pleased that it is now available on DVD. Like most of the other reviewers, I have seen the 1995 A&E version, and while I can understand the appeal of 1995 version (quality of cinematography, sound, etc.), not to mention that A&E spiced it up in order to appeal to late 20th century viewers, I prefer the 1980 version. The 1980 version is truer to the book; I get a much better sense of the relationships (Austen's novels are all about relationships) the characters, not just Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, have with one another, and there are no gratuitous scenes such as Mr. Darcy's wet shirt and the sight of one of the young Bennett sisters in her underwear, which apparently the 1995 producers thought necessary to include in order to appeal to modern viewers. Much as I am a Colin Firth fan, I actually prefer David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy. Some of the reviewers commented that he was too wooden, not emotional enough, but that is precisely how Jane Austen wrote his character--you begin to see him show more emotion later in the series, particularly when he learns of Lydia's running off to London with Mr. Wickham. In the book, as in the 1980 version, Mr. Darcy is a "proud" man; proud of his money, his property, his position in society, his family, his background, his connections, and he distrusts and despises those who are not his social equals, like the Bennett girls. I also liked the other actors in the 1980 version much better than those in the 1995 version, particularly Mrs and Mr Bennett, Jane, Lydia, Mr. Wickham, Judy Parfitt, and particularly Elizabeth. They all portray their characters much, much closer to how Jane Austen wrote them, and you get a much better sense of their relationships. The 1995 version is okay in its own way, but if you're looking for the truest adaption of Austen's novel, the 1980 version is it.

Close, But Still My Favorite
I first saw this version on Masterpiece Theater in the early 80's when I was in high school. I had not read the book yet at that time but I was quite captivated by Elizabeth Garvie's portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet. (My being a 16 year old boy also might have had something to do with it.) Unfortunately I missed the final episode so I had to get the book. I have lost count how many times I have read it since. It is by far my favorite book which is a little odd since I tend to read Sci-Fi and Fantasy books usually.

I bought the VHS set as soon as it was available for both the 1980 and 1995 productions and I now own all three of the newer versions on DVD. I watched them all this weekend and found myself unintentionally comparing them. What I found is that, while I like them all, the 1980 adaptation is my favorite by a small margin over the 1995 one. The 2005 has it's merits and I really do like Keira Knightly as Elizabeth. Of the three she is the only one who acts like she is truly not yet one and twenty :-).

It seems to me that the 1980 version is a tad closer to the book than the 1995 version in terms of the dialogue and the use of actual lines from the book. The production and scenery in the 1995 and 2005 versions are better than the 1980 one but the wit and humor are what carries the story for me and that is what ultimately leads me to enjoy the 1980 version best.

As to the character portrayals I prefer the following:

Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet, Caroline Bingley, Louisa Hurst, Charlotte Lucas, Wickam, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner - The1980 version

Darcy, Bingley, Lady Catherine and Anne DeBourgh, Gorgianna Darcy, Sir William Lucas, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hurst - The 1995 Version

Jane Bennet - The 2005 version

Elizabeth Bennet - Too close to call 1980 and 2005

In any case I think that anyone who enjoys the book (please, please read it if you haven't and if you have, read it again) should add this to their collection.