Jane Austen and P&P

-
Pride and Prejudice turned 200 this January. It is hard to imagine that a story set in rural England 200 years ago could have this much sway over the minds of thousands of women, but Pride and Prejudice does just that. I believe that P&P is the original chick-lit, but in a language and a form far superior to those we have today.



(not owned by me)

Pride and Prejudice marries two of my most favourite characteristics in romance novels.
The first is the heroine - Obstinate, headstrong girl, as rightly called by Lady Catherine De Borough.



And the enigmatic, slightly rude hero with a heart of gold.




All in all, it resembles a firangi version of a Bollywood movie. Upper class and lower class protagonists - an excellent conflict if there was one - hatred that blossoms into love - much more entertaining than the sappy stories - and clever quips and biting dialogues. But there is a freshness of the prose that I feel our films can hardly aspire to. But with the changing face of Marathi cinema, I remain hopeful (no hopes from Bollywood for me!)

There have been many versions of Pride and Prejudice on the screen. Most notables:

1. BBC Version

The best of the lot, seriously. I LOVE IT!

It rocks. Colin Firth is the perfect Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a stunning job as Elizabeth. The music is beautiful, and right from the opening credits, all 6 parts manage to leave one spellbound.


2. Pride and Prejudice

The movie. Truly speaking, I did not like it. Everyone is far too thin and stylish to be believable.






See what I mean?

3. Bride and Prejudice

I am cringing as I write this.




I did not like the movie. I found the dialogue insipid, lacking the pithy quality of the original. But it is overall a good watch.

Merchandise

Pride and Prejudice has done well in the merchandising department. Following are the items I have been coveting:

Earrings of 'It will not do...' from Etsy.



Bags from Cafepress







Clothbound book from Penguin (I am SO going to buy this):
:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tess of D'Urbervilles

-
Image
It has been a long while since a book has tortured me. Pride and Prejudice evokes the same warmth in me as the sight of an old friend and the well-read first line of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife"  makes me smile. I have empathised with Lizzy Bennet and I often identify myself with her. But I have never felt tortured by the ebb and fall of her emotions. I like to think that I share her scintillating wit (:D) and become Elizabeth at times, and never do I feel that I am outsider in her world. I live in Meryton, I take tea at Pemberly and I'm a fly on the wall - or a bee in the bonnet as the case maybe - in Pride and Prejudice. I began reading Tess of D'Urbervilles (Thomas Hardy) precisely two days ago. Between the compulsory breaks for sleep, lunch, dinner (my mother abhors the sight of a book on my lap as I try to shovel food down so I may read unhindered) an...
read more>>

This year's colours

-
Rangapanchmi just passed me by. This year, I was one of those sad, desolate faces hanging around by the window, spying on the people playing colours in the street below. I got up as usual, and dragged my economics text book on the table, and spent ten solid minutes looking up at the sky. And then there were shouts and giggles, and of course I had to investigate the source (rather than accept the inevitable and read about Planning in India). There was a small group of people in varying shades of maroon, blue, green and yellow on the street and were shrieking with laughter as they drenched each other and threw colours. I will not deny it. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Was it really so bad, that I was cooped up in the house on a glorious March morning, while all my friends from school and my sister were off gallivanting with their friends from college. It is understandable, really, and I do want to be all mature and grown up about it, but sometimes, I feel like an outsider. They go ...
read more>>

Arbhaat short film club: 11th session

-
Image
Having missed the last two sessions of Arbhaat, I was quite eager to head over to NFAI last Thursday. The theme was 'Sound and music'. I have begun to love the first Thursday of every month. It is a much welcome break from the monotony, and to some extent, decides what I will be immersed in the rest of the month. In almost every session I have been struck by some of the films that are screened - so poignant, so simple yet of such breathtaking complexity, films that tell the truth and the films that lie almost lovingly.  I do not claim a deeper understanding of this visual medium - indeed, it is words that I string around myself - but over the past year, I have come to realize the advantages and shortcomings of both the media. I cannot ever forget Telephone, a film by Shabnam Chopra, which had been screened at the 9th session. Based on a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, the film was a psychological thriller which held me spellbound and terrified me to my very core. When...
read more>>