By Danica Ward
Staff Writer
“You have bewitched me body and soul.”
These words spoken by the one and only Mr. Darcy were immortalized on film in the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, ‘Pride & Prejudice.’
Directed by Joe Wright as his first feature film and lasting two hours and eight minutes, the now cult classic film was released in theatres on Nov. 11, 2005.
The film has also received an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, and can be watched on platforms such as HBO Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, among others.
Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Carey Mulligan, Rosamund Pike, Dame Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland, the film adapts the romantic classic in a timeless period piece.
Set in the English countryside, the film focuses on the Bennet family, most notably their daughter Elizabeth, who falls in love with the brooding and upper-class Mr. Darcy.
Along the way, a few other of the Bennet sisters blossom in their love lives, and come of age during a time of regency and class. There is Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy’s closest friend who falls in love with the lovely Jane Bennet, as well as a Mr. Wickham, whose familial connections become dangerous to the budding relationship between the two romantic leads.
Despite their intense chemistry, the intense personalities of both Ms. Bennet and Mr. Darcy threaten to keep them from their destiny.
The will-they-won’t-they dynamic of the two main characters guaranteed that the film would be a great success. With a budget of $28 million, the film ended up garnering a revenue of $121 million worldwide.
The film’s lasting effects include the tense sense of yearning that Mr. Darcy encapsulates. The famous “hand flex” scene, where Mr. Darcy holds Elizabeth’s hand to help her into a carriage, or the scene where both characters are drenched in rain confessing their love, have defined the film since its release 20 years ago.
Some of Mr. Darcy’s quotes, like when he confesses to Elizabeth during his first proposal attempt, “I love you most ardently,” have stayed in the hearts of viewers since the film’s release.
As opposed to other adaptations of the novel, one being from 1940 and starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, and the other being from 1995 and starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, the 2005 adaptation has cemented its place in the pop culture zeitgeist.
Having such an intense and detailed visual aid such as this film has helped to cement it as the quintessential adaptation of Austen’s literary classic. With filming centered in Derbyshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Lincolnshire and Kent in the United Kingdom, the story is given an artistic edge that makes it perfect to represent the film.
The detail of all of the individual characters, as well as the plethora of gorgeous set pieces make the 2005 adaptation of ‘Pride & Prejudice’ the most well-known one to date. It proves itself as one of the best reimaginations of a classic in the modern-day film industry.
