Welcome to the Galactic Theater, where we'll explore the works of master manipulators of light waves, examine the themes brought to play, and critique the final products of months of hard work.

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.

That said, on to the review!

Miss Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle) has enjoyed a relatively stable life...until Mr. Bingley arrives to lease Netherfield, bringing with him his friend, Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth). That's when things become strange. For at their first meeting Mr. Darcy turned the feelings of the entire town against him with his arrogance and pride, even scorning to dance with her, though there was a lack of partners for the women at the dance. Circumstances unfortunately force her before him, and force him to unwillingly notice her. Though nothing has happened to change her opinion of him--except, perhaps, to dislike him more than before--he has begun to love her, something unwelcome to him for her connections are too low for his tastes.

The arrival of Mr. Wickham in the region adds another complication to their already confusing relationship. He and Mr. Darcy have a history, one which steers Elizabeth more towards the one and further from the other. And yet...is she right to trust the word of one recently introduced to her and allow herself to be further prejudiced against one she already dislikes? Only time can tell, but certainly she's inclined to accept Mr. Wickham's word over Mr. Darcy's, not the least reason being the attention he's paid to her and the openness and trustworthiness she sees in his countenance.

Things come to head, however, when Mr. Darcy proposes to her...sort of. His proposal is so lacking in common courtesy that she feels no qualms in laying crime after crime at his feet. He admits to some, refutes others, but goes away feeling furious with himself for worrying so much about the poor match that their marriage would make. While she remains angry with him for some time after, she soon has new things to occupy her interest, including a trip with her aunt and uncle into Derbyshire. But is that such a good idea when that very place includes the home of Mr. Darcy himself? What will happen if their paths should cross? What can happen between a young man scorned and the young woman that scorned him?

Of all the movie adaptations of canonized novels I have ever seen--and that number's increasing, what with more novels becoming movies--Pride and Prejudice, a miniseries from the BBC, is by far one of the best I've ever seen. It adheres far more to the text than some other quality movies, including Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula and even Emma Thompson's version of Sense and Sensibility. About the only one that seems to do more is Kenneth Branagh's version of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and that's a play.

The scenery throughout the miniseries is splendid and awe-inspiring. One particularly impressive scene is when Elizabeth--in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Sir Lucas and Maria Lucas--is proceeding up the walkway to Rosings Park, the home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. The facade presented to the viewer is nearly perfectly symmetrical, and is as a result imposing in its visual balance and preeminence. One of the most humorous of scenes must, I suppose, be the one where Elizabeth tells Maria--who is in the midst of unpacking all her dresses after listening to advice from Lady Catherine--that she doesn't need to heed Lady Catherine's advice because Lady Catherine will never know that she didn't. Another impressive scene is when Elizbeth and her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner first see Pemberley, Mr. Darcy's Derbyshire estate. Actually, the whole sequence involving their initial visit--from the presentation of the building's facade to the walk through the gallery to their final departure from the estate that day--was impressive. Especially the gallery! But by far the most impressive and awe-inspiring scene is when Elizabeth tells Lady Catherine to, basically, mind her own business and not poke her nose into Elizabeth's, no matter how great a personal stake she has in it. Oh, that scene was absolutely wonderful!.

Pride and Prejudice--when I saw it at any rate--was a six-hour miniseries that aired on A&E. I didn't see it until the summer of 1996, but I'm glad I did. I'm not familiar with anything else the actors did, but that's all right, because in this series they were outstanding. I found Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy to be exactly what I had originally imagined it to be: perfectly horrid in the beginning, and thoroughly respectable in the end. Jennifer Ehle's turn as Elizabeth was likewise enjoyable, what with the various emotions she was enable to imbue in Elizabeth and thereby adding even greater character to her character. The other actors were similarly enjoyable, whether it was in the way they portrayed good breeding and manners or how they represented stupidity, vulgarity (no, not profanity, but simply ill-breeding), and foolishenss.

All in all, I wouldn't mind seeing another movie adaptation (okay, in this case "miniseries" adaptation) of a novel. I did watch Jane Eyre but found it lacking in draw. Sense and Sensibility was close, but again, the only one that possibly surpassed it in its brilliance is Much Ado About Nothing, the Kenneth Branagh version. I keep waiting for someone to do another Dracula that would stick closer to the text than even Coppola's one did, but I suppose it won't happen for at least another ten years. Too bad.

You can purchase Pride and Prejudice on videotape at just about any video store you go to. It's a six-tape miniseries so it will be pricey, but don't worry too much. I bought mine for only $60.00!

Interested in buying this video? You can! Just follow the link to order the VHS version or the DVD version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.

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