Pride And Prejudice : Complete BBC Series - 10th Anniversary Edition [1995] [DVD]

I loved this when it came out. I'm "initiating" my teenage daughter into the classic movies and shows and this was a joy to re watch again. She loved it. Highly recommended. This is the best period drama to come out of the BBC and thet excel at period dramas.

... that the BBC does classic serials better than anybody. Or they used to. And it's certainly true of this lovely version of Pride & Prejudice. Maybe this one slipped through the net before the current obsession with creating all-star mini-series that chop and change an original work on a whim.Bear in mind one thing: this is an adaptation of the novel, and purists will baulk at some parts. But it's still a delight from start to finish - it looks wonderful, despite the inexcusably washed-out and anaemic image quality of this 'Anniversary Edition' (see note, below, and go for the 'Special Edition'). The locations are beautifully chosen, the costumes are 'clothes' that you can believe the characters might actually have worn, and the characters themselves have an earthy and realistic quality to them that makes them believable and rounded human beings.Because this is such enjoyable telly, one can even forgive the liberties that have been taken with the original (the famous, or notorious, or infamous, 'wet shirt' scene, for example: a self-indulgent bit of nonsense on the part of screenwriter Andrew Davies - presumably with the blessing of the producers - to titillate those viewers who might otherwise not be able to cope with a full-length period drama!) Forgive this, and the other eccentricites - or just look the other way for two minutes.The joyous qualities of this far outweigh the minor shortcomings. It's rich in humour, beautifully performed (and improves on acquaintance) and is frequently very touching. The on-screen relationship between Lizzie and Mr Darcy is so well directed and so well-played as to be enthralling throughout, and there is a delicious enthusiasm about each and every character that carries the series along on the crest of its own wave.It isn't really fair to compare it to Fay Weldon's earlier version, even though we're all doing just that. That dramatisation (1979) was and is a masterpiece of putting Jane Austen on the screen. It's unbeatable as a faithful version of Pride & Prejudice.But I think it is a different creation: it's more literal, it's studio-based, and everything has more time ...However, these two versions deserve to stand side by side on the winner's podium - each one worth its budget many times over.We seldom see anything of their calibre any more. In an ideal world, an Austen novice would watch this version first - to whet the appetite, THEN read the book and enjoy it thoroughly, and THEN watch the Fay Weldon dramatisation from 1979.Heaven!(Still unconvinced about the joys of Jane Austen ? Have a look at Fay Weldon's book 'Letters to Alice' - which is a delightful and expert tour through the novels. It puts them all into context, and is well worth reading.)UPDATE: MAY 2010.If you're going to buy the DVD of this excellent production of PRIDE & PREJUDICE, go for the more recently issued 'SPECIAL EDITION' (See reviews). The picture quality has been given some much-needed tender loving care, and finally does the whole delicious thing justice. It's sumptuous.

I own both the BBC and the Keira Knightly P&Ps, and my advice to people who love the story as much as I is to buy them both.Although the movie is necessarially much shorter than the TV version, many of my favorite quotes are preserved which, for some reason, Andrew Davies decided to edit out of the BBC version. Furthermore,the movie is absolutely beautifully filmed and edited. Even the sound editing is marvelous. The music in the ballroom and party scenes is very consciously part of the atmosphere of the film and blends almost seamlessly with the background music. The acting throughout is organic and sympathetic, and particular nods must be made for Mr.Bennet, Mrs.Bennet and Mr.Collins, who never indulged in even a moment of campy behavior. In general, all the characters were shown in their best light. Caroline Bingley, although very mean spirited, is the height of fashion and beauty of her day. Mary (a little unfaithfully to the book) is simply an industrious if not accomplished introvert. The shortness of the medium denies Darcy of a proper character development (that honor stays with Elizabeth), but he is from the beginning an overly wealthy man whose shyness is too easily mistaken for arrogance.The BBC production has the advantage of 6 episodes which gives the characters and the story the time to properly develop. The conversations from the book are better preserved, and one has time to listen and enjoy them, as if one were watching a play. Darcy benefits the most from the protracted version, for he really undergoes a development from being very arrogant to very gracious. Although I prefer many of the smaller roles from the movie, the characterizations are completely faithful to the book and to an old style of entertaining character acting. Also, although the Lydia and Wickham in the movie are alright, albeit a bit watered down, the Lydia and the Wickham in the BBC production are absolutely perfect. Furthermore, although one can see that the BBC production did not have the Hollywood budget for the filming, the direction is every bit as bit as good and sometimes better.Both productions have wonderful Lizzies. Knightly has the sharper tongue and stronger personality, and Ehle has the "fine eyes" which can speak monologues with a twinkle and twitch of the eyebrows. Both productions feature wonderful sets and locations, not to mention charming dances. The hair and costumes in the movie are prettier to my taste, but, to be fair, the hair and costumes in the TV version are truer to the style of the day.So don't waste time deciding! Buy them both!

Fabulous 4 discs of the BBC 1995 Pride & Prejudice. Wonderful adaption of the story keeping it line with the English language of the period. All actors superb, especiallyJennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Great rest of cast, costumes, makeup, music, scenery, horses, carriages and dancing. Deep thinking love story with a happy ending. What's not to like about this? Good value for money, fast delivery. Will be watched over and over again.