by Sophie Gordon

It opens on a misty field in the early morning, paralleling the opening scene. Except this is the main climaxing moment of the film, where everything comes together. Lizzie walks into the scene as soft music starts to play. There’s a pause, Lizzie looks over and we hear a piano melody begin to play. The shot transitions to Mr. Darcy in the distance walking towards her, through the misty field early morning as the sun begins to rise. As he walks closer, the music gets louder, crescendoing. The piano is then joined by strings, building together and becoming louder as he continues his walk towards her. As he draws nearer, we finally see Lizzie’s face with the musical accompaniment as she turns slightly to look towards him. Her face showing, just barely, her surprise and perhaps confusion, but most of all her love for him. The music fades into the background when he reaches her, drifting off behind the dialogue. As they speak of apologies and appreciations for unspoken acts, the sounds of nature fill the background. Birds, trees, wind, and grass, the sounds of nature waking up in the morning. As Lizzie speaks, soft music accompanies her dialogue. As the scene continues, Darcy proposes to Lizzie again. He expresses, “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you, and never wish to be parted from you from this day on” (01:55:07-01:55:15). The camera switches to Lizzie’s face, full of adoration and love. There is a pause between them, soft music fills the moment of anticipation and nervousness, seen in Darcy’s eyes and face. Lizzie steps closer, taking his hand and simply says, “Well then . . . Your hands are cold” (01:55:28-01:55:36). Darcy just nods as he looks into her eyes, knowing what she means. They lean their foreheads together as the music swells slightly and transitions to the next scene using a familiar melody that is played throughout the movie, “Dawn.” 

The classic love story combined with the amazing camera-work, settings, landscapes, costumes, acting, and music of this film really made me fall in love with this version of this story.

I remember the first time I watched this movie. I was with my best friend and she was showing me this movie and I was in awe. The classic love story combined with the amazing camera-work, settings, landscapes, costumes, acting, and music of this film really made me fall in love with this version of this story. Once I got home, I had to rewatch it. I had to experience it again, on my own this time, so I could fully immerse myself into the story and notice all the little details. Since then, I’ve watched this movie dozens of times and I still notice small details, like the colors of the clothes, the scene transitions, the character’s expressions in the background, or how certain scenes are shot. There are so many scenes in which the cinematography, costume design, soundtrack, direction, and underlying meanings all come together and melt into a gorgeously crafted scene. 

The director, Joe Write, decided to take this film adaptation in a rather new direction. Previous film adaptations of Jane Austen’s books, and other works within the general time period of the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, are considered to be heritage films. These can be defined as, 

. . . films set in the past, telling stories of the manners and proprieties, but also the often transgressive romantic entanglements of the upper- and upper-middle-class English, in carefully detailed and visually splendid period reconstructions. The luxurious country-house settings, the picturesque rolling green landscapes of southern England, the pleasures of period costume, and the canonical literary reference points are among the more frequently noted attractions of such films. (Dole)

Rather than following the trend of previous directors, Write wanted to take a more “real and gritty” perspective (Durgan). The way that Write was able to accomplish this new perspective was through the film’s use of cinematography. Traditional heritage films focus the camera more on the spectacle of the English countryside and extravagant furnishings and other historical details within the movie. However in the 2005 adaptation, the cinematography allows for the film itself to be the main spectacle (Durgan). The camera work of this film has much more motion than traditional heritage films allow. There are dramatic zooms on faces or hands, elaborate single shot scenes following characters around a ball, quick close-up cuts between two characters, and so many more movement based techniques that add much more tension and emotion to the film and scenes. Instead of focusing on historical props or landscapes, the camera is used to portray emotions, thoughts, and interpretations that cannot be communicated through dialogue. 

Traditional heritage films focus the camera more on the spectacle of the English countryside and extravagant furnishings and other historical details within the movie. However in the 2005 adaptation, the cinematography allows for the film itself to be the main spectacle (Durgan).

An example of an elaborate single shot scene can be seen in the opening scene, where we, the viewers, are actually introduced to the Bennet family without even knowing or hearing any dialogue. The whole scene, beginning from when Elizabeth first appears on screen to where we see a cut in the scene to Lydia and Kitty listening in on Mr. and Mrs. Bennet talking (00:01:17-00:03:10), introduces many things, not only some of the main characters. Beginning with the first few seconds, we see Elizabeth walking through a plain green field reading a book. This scene establishes that she is going to be a rather strong female lead. This scene can be described as a “country walk” motif, which is used to represent “ the possibility of women overcoming the limitations on ‘mobility and aspiration’ placed on them in Austen’s age” (Dole).  This motif of a woman’s independence being portrayed by her walking through the countryside on her own is rather common in heritage films. Placing Elizabeth outdoors also allows for the shot to also show the rural landscape which they live in. As she walks around the outskirts of the house, we are able to see that the house is also a working farm. In the background, the viewer is able to see cows being led by a worker, chickens and pigs being fed, workers laboring over laundry and hanging it to dry. This adaptation doesn’t stray away from showing the working servants or the mud and dirt that was a realistic part of the agricultural working class in England during the 18th century. These small details are used to distinguish the family’s class status from the Bingley’s, who are introduced a few minutes later into the film (Dole). 

As the scene continues, the camera ventures into the house, going on its first single shot scenes. We see Mary playing the piano quietly in the background, seemingly playing the piano melody “Dawn.” Jane walks out from a room holding an embroidery hoop and some clothing items, seeming to be tidying up. Kitty and Lydia run by her giggling, Lydia places a bonnet on the table and they continue to run through the house laughing. The camera continues forward, becoming closer to Mary and briefly focusing the shot on her. It pans to the right to show their dining table, which is messy with hats, bonnets, dresses, and papers laying about. We then see the side door out where a worker is feeding the chickens and geese, as the camera goes out the door Elizabeth walks into view. It follows her as she walks up a few external stairs, pausing while Elizabeth watches Mr. and Mrs. Bennet discussing the new tenets of Netherfield Park. We follow Elizabeth, with a brief close up on her adoring smile towards her parents. The scene then cuts to Lydia and Kitty listening outside the door to their parents (00:03:09). 

Although this scene is rather short, many things are happening and can be used to interpret the setting, the family’s social standing, and more importantly the characters themselves. This scene, as previously mentioned, makes use of background workers and livestock to establish the family’s social standing in this society, which is of the working class. As for the characters, Elizabeth is established to be independent, intelligent, and caring. This is interpreted through the “country walk” motif, and her brief adoring smile towards her parents. Mary can be interpreted to be rather quiet, as we never actually see her face in this scene. Jane can be seen as a more motherly but adoring figure, since she appears to be cleaning up and calls out to Lydia and Kitty as they run by. Kitty and Lydia are much more giddy and childish, as seen by their giggling and running about. Mrs. Bennet is shown to be somewhat of a gossip and high-strung, but also persistent. Finally, Mr. Bennet is seen to be much more relaxed, yet still caring. 

The continuous motion of the camera in this scene makes it feel like the viewer is actually wandering through the house and not just watching a film.

This scene is just one of many where the cinematography is used to communicate much more than dialogue can say. The continuous motion of the camera in this scene makes it feel like the viewer is actually wandering through the house and not just watching a film. This motion also sets this film apart from traditional heritage films, primarily because it is moving. The camera isn’t focused on one area unmoving, but is engaged with the setting and its surroundings. And that is one of the primary reasons as to why this period piece stands out to me over almost every other period piece that I have watched. Rather than acting as a reenactment of the time period, this film acts as an artistic piece that prioritizes much more than historical accuracy. No matter how many different versions and adaptations of this novel I watch, I will always end up going back to this particular film.

Works Cited

Dole, Carol M. “Jane Austen and Mud: 0RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2Pride & Prejudice1RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2 (2005), British Realism, and the Heritage Film.” Persuasions : The Jane Austen Journal on-Line, vol. 27, no. 2, 2007. ProQuest, http://0-search.proquest.com.wncln.wncln.org/scholarly-journals/jane-austen-mud-i-pride-amp-prejudice-2005/docview/2309801280/se-2. 

Durgan, Jessica. “Framing Heritage: The Role of Cinematography in 0RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2Pride & Prejudice1RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2.” Persuasions : The Jane Austen Journal on-Line, vol. 27, no. 2, 2007. ProQuest, http://0-search.proquest.com.wncln.wncln.org/scholarly-journals/framing-heritage-role-cinematography-i-pride-amp/docview/2309794828/se-2. 

Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, 11 Nov. 2005.“Pride and Prejudice Movie Review Essay – Film Analysis.” Free Essays, ivypanda.com/essays/pride-and-prejudice-film-critical-analysis/.

created for LANG 120 with Ayelet Even-Nur