Stolz und Vorurteil

This version of Pride and Prejudice is simply outstanding and excels in essentially every aspect. It is faithful to the book, particularly capturing the spirit of the book and the energy and constant tension of the story. It excellently portrays the world of the book as it relates to the story, with keen attention to the details of costume, the furniture, etc. Moreover, the actors were on the whole outstanding. I fail to see how anyone could have portray Darcy better than did Colin Firth, who perfectly captured the character's aristocratic refinedness, his shyness and sense of decorum that come across as apparent stuffiness and disdain, and his underlying passion, all at the same time. He perfectly blends all these different traits and is utterly convincing in portraying the outward stiffness as a simple facade for the strong emotions and character underneath, rather than simply being stiff and wooden. His looks, and especially his eyes, say so much of the complexity of his character and his feelings with subtle expressions. Similarly Jennifer Ehle excellently portrays Lizzie, showing her to be tender, witty, thoughtful, occasionally prone to strong judgments without all the information, yet trying to grapple with different feelings as her involvement with Darcy, et al., progresses. David Bamber is great as Mr. Collins and perfectly conveys his mix of traits. Alison Steadman's histrionics and fickle opinions are wonderful as the mom, and remind me very much of an actual relative of mine, while Benjamin Whitrow is a great counterpart as the father who is outwardly usually calm and peaceful, yet always able to rile up his wife. The others are great, too, but there is no point in listing them all. The bottom line is that I find it hard to beat this production, which is utterly gripping and keeps anyone interested in these stories completely entranced the whole way through.

I found this to be the best all around movie I ever had the pleasure of viewing ... and I'm 78. We knew the story was excellent but to make it so realistic as to not be aware at all that the actors are acting in a way so perfectly executed that one can easily get the impression that this was a live performance of the real characters in the Jane Austen novel and era as she herself intended, or at least perceived them. I can't think of one scene, actor, or dialogue that I would change that could improve this picture and story.

This is a drama to rave about. I've not seen its like on television before; nor do I expect to see its like again. It was superb. It was almost perfect - though not quite.

It is rare to find a Jane Austen dramatisation that comes so near to being perfect on every level and that stays so true to the original novel. The greater part of the dialogue in the series is Jane Austen's own and every scene is included and follows the same chronological order. The drama departs from the novel in only two instances. In order to extend our knowledge of the characters of Darcy(Colin Firth), and Mr Collins(David Bamber), two scenes are added; to demonstrate that Darcy is not just an effete aristocrat but a real man worthy of Elizabeth's love we are shown him indulging in manly pursuits; fencing, and swimming in his private lake (it puzzles me why so many women seem to drool over his wet-shirt scene); and to demonstrate that Mr Collins is an idiotic, narrow- minded prude we are shown him trembling with embarrassment and horror when he happens to come across Lydia (Julia Sawalha) in a state of dishabille. David Bamber makes Mr Collins deliciously toadying and obsequious. A remarkable piece of acting.

It is its faithfulness to the original that makes this drama so good. No one has ever written a more tightly plotted novel. Its series of climaxes make the novel difficult to put down; just as one plot-line reaches its climactic conclusion, another is building. And the duel of wits and sharp dialogue between Darcy and Elizabeth (Jennifer Ehle) as they get to know each other is entrancing. And then comes that moment. She is at the piano befriending Darcy's sister, Georgiana (Emilia Fox), when he holds her gaze with a silent declaration of his love and admiration. This involved a fine piece of editor-timing; a split second either way, either too long or too short, and the poignancy of that moment would have been lost. It is interesting to compare Colin Firth's Darcy with that of Lawrence Olivier's Darcy in the Hollywood film. Olivier falsely portraits him as appealingly shy and self-conscious. But Darcy was in no way shy, he was just proud, with every reason to have a good opinion of himself. He found it impossible to imagine that anyone in a lower strata of society, living in a small provincial town, could be his equal - until he met Elizabeth!

However, I felt there was one weak link in the chain of superb acting; Alison steadman. Many will disagree but I think she over-acted, turning her Mrs Bennet into a nerve- grating, neurasthenic caricature. But apart from that, I heartily recommend this video. Don't miss it. You'll not see its like again. I must just mention the charming piano music by Carl Davis, so beautifully evocative of a beautiful period in history (for the rich).

A female journalist once wrote that no actress could ever portray Elizabeth Bennet to the satisfaction of a woman viewer for one very simple reason: every woman really visualizes herself in that role. Jennifer Ehle has done the impossible - she is, and in my mind, forever will be, Elizabeth. The beauty, wit, and sparkling liveliness of the character are perfectly captured in her performance. And Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy is an exact match for her. His smoldering good looks are wonderful, and he can portray reserve without descending into woodenness and blankness. The scene where he and Elizabeth dance a long and stately dance together in the midst of a crowd is both controlled and exciting - with very little change of tone, and while preserving the most correct decorum, their conversation reveals dangerous undercurrents of emotion, and meanwhile the steps of the dance keep pulling them together and apart again. The rest of the characters are equally fine - David Bamber's obsequious Mr. Collins is especially unforgettable.

I am a college student and I love reading classic literature. Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers of all time, and I was very happy with the movie versions of both Emma (with Gwyneth Paltrow) and Sense and Sensibility (with Emma Thompson & Kate Winslet). Both of the books are classics, and the movies are very true to their predescesors. This was no exception. I have read the book, and loved it, and I absolutely loved this mini-series. I was told by my English professor that it was the best version, and I was not happy with the version with Laurence Olivier. The cast was perfect, and how I loved seeing the relationship between Elizabeth & darcy unfold! One of the best 5 hours ever spent on a movie. 10/10