Pride and Prejudice

[fan_elune]

Let's try and give this post a semblance of order, shall we. All squeeing shall be regulated. Ish.

The music: the music. Ah, the music. I'd been listening to a few tracks for a couple of weeks thanks to the_grynne, but nothing prepared me for the music and the film. And now I'm listening to them again and they've gained so much. I was particularly struck by the dance during which they find themselves alone in the ballroom, and... this whole passage. The music, and the way they moved, the way it was shot... artful is the word that springs to mind. Also, I found the strings pieces to be much more powerful than the piano pieces, with time. Maybe strings are an acquired taste? In any case, I must look into downloading the whole OST.

The costumes: it's very simple, because, let it be said, I am very, very easy. Four main things, all pertaining to dear Matthew: coat. Boots. Shirt. Cuffs. (Now I'm craving for Adrien Brody and James Purefoy in costumes. Ngh.)

Matthew himself: I was not disappointed. Need I say more? His eyes, his hands. Most of the time Darcy shuts himself off and his eyes say nothing, but you can generally tell by his hands. And when he does let his eyes speak? It tends to take my breath away. Just like any hint of a smile. It's typical for such a taciturn character. And Matthew's Darcy is right up there with Richard Armitage's Thornton.

Keira: she was playing an Austen heroine, which immediately makes it rather unlikely that I will like her much. However, I rather did. I didn't feel for her as I felt for Darcy, as I am still me and, well, no, but. She did a good job.

What the previous adaptation didn't have: so the BBC adaptation had Colin Firth, granted. But I think Matthew owned up to what was expected of him. I didn't miss Colin. However, the great strength of this adaptation, I find, is the sensuality of it. There was so much sexual tension between them, so much hinged on physicality, like the shot of Darcy stretching his hand after he helped her into the coach. And her study of the statues, even though I felt they overdid it a little there, that a bit more subtlety wouldn't have gone amiss. And my point was that they really sold the attraction to me. When she refuses him, and he almost kisses her, and she almost lets herself be kissed. All those moments.

Supporting actors: all of them, spot-on. Judi Dench, obviously, as Judi Denchesque as ever. Donald Sutherland was good. Jena Malone was absolutely silly, which was perfect. Claudie Blakley I very much enjoyed as Charlotte (she already broke my heart in Gosford Park). Kelly Reilly was not as beautiful as in Les Poupées Russes, but her brother was such a cute kid, not that bright but ever so endearing, paradoxically (Simon Woods, who gives me more molesting than cuddling urges when I see pictures like this). And Penelope Wilton! (I kept expecting the words "Harriet Jones" to come out of her mouth. I am easily brainwashed, it seems, by RTD et al.) The list goes on.

Oh! And in the wonderful, thankfully devoid of a kiss, "your hands are cold" scene Matthew's delivery of one of his lines made me think of Alan Rickman, to top it all off. "If - however, your feelings have changed..." It's the way he paused right after the "if", it screamed Rickman to me. Possibly I'm obsessed.
Which makes me think that Elizabeth's aunt's remark that there is something about his mouth when he speaks made me want to cry out, in full fangirly squee mode, that that would be his VOICE. Ahem.

All right, so... I enjoyed it. So very much. More than I realised on the spot, even as I couldn't wipe a stupid little happy smile off my face afterwards.

Comments

[hardlyfatal.livejournal.com]

I loved it too, which surprised me because I was fully prepared to loathe it. But, woot! Good stuff. I intend to buy it when it's out on DVD. The guy who played whassiface, who married the flighty sister-- that actor was SMOKIN' hot. Yowza. I loved the older sister's grave sweetness, and Elizabeth's plain friend was superbly played, with her dignified resignation about being plain. Splendid film.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

Personally I was very afraid that I might be expecting too much out of Matthew Macfadyen. It was a relief to enjoy him as much as expected.

Yes - Whickam, was he? He made me think of Orlando. It's the jaw, I blame the jaw. But I'd still rather Darcy than him any day. I'm a sucker for Matthew's voice, what can I say.

The plain girl, I absolutely adore this actress. Two roles now in which she's struck me with this aura of, precisely, dignified resignation. She is amazing.

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

You saw it!! Yay!

And word, totally, about the sensuality, or rather the sexual awakening of the piece. I really loved the scene with the statues because I read into it not just the physicality of Darcy that was hidden from most eyes, but also Elizabeth's nascent awareness of "high culture" (symbolic of the best of human accomplishment? or in any case the least practical) which her father had half-intentionally kept her away from all her life -- the awareness of how she hasn't been "properly educated". I mean, that's the flip side of the coin. One side is Darcy's arrogance and perceived snobbery for the lower classes, the other is Elizabeth's very parochial view of the world, which is expanded by that trip (although that scene on the cliff was a bit heavy handed). Because she really is that young, and she hasn't seen much of the world, intelligent and curious though she is.

[fan-elune.livejournal.com]

God, yes, exactly, to all that. And it's her realisation of that, of the shortcoming of her education, that's just so crucial and fascinating. But yeah, a bit heavy-handed at times. Easily forgiven, though.