The novel āPride and Prejudiceā (Pride & Prejudice, 1813), written by the famous English writer Jane Austen , due to its popularity, formed the basis of the plot of as many as seven feature films and television series. The first screen version was released in 1940, followed by films of the same name in 1952, 1958, 1967 and 1980. In 1995, the first six-episode mini-series based on the famous novel was released on television. The last film adaptation took place in 2005 and was also called āPride and Prejudiceā. The actors involved in the shooting of this picture were proud and aware of all the responsibility assigned to them. After all, their game will be compared with the work of artists of other film adaptations.
Roman J. Austin āPride and Prejudiceā
This work of the English writer, who worked in the late 18th - early 19th centuries, is certainly one of the most widely read novels written in English. According to literary critics, it was this book that marked the beginning of a new genre - āWomen's Romanceā. However, here you will not find the sentimental "aahs" and sighs that are inherent in such works. Jane Austen is characterized by a special manner of writing, a peculiar sophistication of the language, an original style - for which she is respected in literary circles. In this novel, the author was able to recreate the atmosphere of old England, with incredible love and sincerity to describe all the heroes of the novel. Some of them are funny, others are short-sighted and stupid, others are talented, but they are all victims of prejudice prevailing in society. The merit of the author is that you donāt feel hostility towards any of them during the reading. All this served as the basis for some English and American directors to create films based on this novel. And the actors selected for filming in these films had to play roles in such a way that the images of heroes and heroines created by the great writer did not suffer.
The first film adaptation of the novel is the feature film Pride and Prejudice (1940)
During the Second World War, the American film director Robert Z. Leonard, in collaboration with the film company Metro-Golden-Meyer, decided to make a film based on the popular in the US novel by the British writer J. Austin āPride and Prejudiceā. Actors to participate in the film were selected as a result of the strictest casting, however, the main roles were invited by those popular in those years, Lawrence Olivier and Greer Garzon. Other actors are equally famous: Anne Rutherford, Mary Baland, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edna May Oliver, Anne Rutherford, Edmund Guann, Frida Ainscourt and others. In 1941, the film by Robert Z. Leonard, āPride and Prejudiceā at the Oscars, received an award in the nomination āThe best work of a production designerā. Gold statuette received Paul Gresse and Cedric Gibbons.
Pride and Prejudice: Actors (1995)
Of particular interest is the television series of the same name, filmed at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. During this period, the telenovela genre was at the peak of popularity, and many directors, taking advantage of this, put on screen versions of classic novels. This series was the sixth film adaptation of the novel by writer Jane Austen. The picture was shot in the UK, precisely in the area described in the book. Thanks to the excellent cast and aspirations of the director, the series was a success. The TV channels that showed this series immediately increased their ratings by several steps. On Russian television, the telenovela was on the First Channel of Public Television.
And it would be unlikely that there would be a family that did not gather in front of TV screens in the evenings to watch the series Pride and Warning. The actors who starred in the film - Colin Firth, David Bamber, Jennifer El, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Susanna Harker, Anna Chancellor, Adrian Lukis, Barbara Lee-Hunt, Alison Stadman,
Julia Savalia and others - they all fell in love with their believable game.
Last film adaptation
In 2005, English filmmaker Joe Wright decided to make his own version of the film based on the novel āPride and Prejudiceā by the famous novelist Jane Austen. Unlike the previous film adaptation, i.e. series āPride & Prejudiceā, this picture was supposed to be a one-part full-length tape. The result was a two-hour vivid film with rich scenery with the participation of famous actors. The inimitable Keira Knightley was invited to play the leading role. The film cost the creators $ 28 million, and the world box office was four times as much as it was spent on the shoot. The screenwriters are Deborah Moggak and Emma Thompson. Those who read the novel, as well as familiar with the previous adaptations, say that this is the most unfortunate of them, and that the scriptwriters have changed the plot beyond recognition. However, there are others along with this opinion. Since 2005, when the seventh film adaptation of the novel by Jane Austen was released, she has a million-strong army of fans. And if the script of the picture was attacked by critics from time to time, no one had any complaints about the correctness of the choice of the cast of the film Pride and Prejudice. Actors were able to best create the images of heroes invented by the author. They were all passionate about their game in this film and are grateful to the young director Joe Wright for the invitation, and a friendly atmosphere always reigned on the set.
Actors and characters
In 1995, the role of Mr. Darcy - one of the central figures of the novel - was played by Colin Firth. He was so convincing that for 10 years he was considered the standard of this complex and characteristic image. Joe Wright struggled for eight months over the difficult task of whom to choose for this role. The decision came by itself, and to fulfill this role, Darcy was invited to Matthew MacFeyden. Well, to play Elizabeth Bennett had a Hollywood celebrity Keira Knightley. By the way, she always dreamed about this role and believes that she is very similar to her heroine. And here is the complete list of performers in the film āPride and Prejudiceā (2005). Actors and their roles are collected in one list.
- Mr. Darcy - Matthew MacFeyden.
- Georgiana Darcy - Tamzin Merchant.
- Bennet sisters: Elizabeth - Keira Knightley, Mary - Talula Riley, Jane - Rosamund Pike, Lydia - Jena Malone, Kitty - Keri Mulligan.
- Mr. and Mrs. Bennett - Donald Sutherland and Brenda Beltin.
- Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner - Peter White and Penelope Wilton.
- Charles Bingley and Caroline Bingley - Simon Woods and Kelly Reilly.
- Katherine and Anna de Beer - Judy Dench and Rosamund Stephen.
- Charlotte Luke - Claudie Blackley et al.
Those who have not seen the film āPride and Prejudiceā can see photos of the actors here in the article.
The awards and prizes received by the picture of Joe Wright
In 2005, this picture was nominated for an Oscar in four categories at once: Best Actress (Keira Knightley), Best Performance, Best Music (Dario Marianelli), Best Costume Design. However, she did not win any of them. In addition, the film was presented at the Golden Globe Award in two categories: āBest Musical or Comedyā, āBest Actressā, but also to no avail. Luck awaited the film at the BAFTA Award. The prize was won by Joe Wright himself in the nomination āMost Promising Debutā. In addition, there were applications for another 5 prizes, but unsuccessfully. Nevertheless, participation in BAFTA was most fruitful for the film āPride and Prejudiceā. The actors of the film, although they did not receive any of the awards, were not deprived of the attention of the paparazzi and the grateful spectator.