Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996)

Buy This Item Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996) by A&E Home Video  Available from Amazon  $19.99  on 9-20-2008     Jane Austen's classic novel of 1813, <I>Pride and Prejudice</I>, still wins the hearts of countless schoolgirls with its romantic story of Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Now, the 1996 BBC miniseries is winning over adults, with its faithful adaptation, gorgeous scenery, and superb acting.<p> The essence of the story is the antagonism between Mr. Darcy, a wealthy single man who believes Elizabeth to be beneath him, and Elizabeth, who upon being insulted at a dance by the aloof Darcy refuses to associate with him in any manner. Austen evokes incredible tension with the wit and flirtation of the two characters, and director Simon Langton (who also directed <I>Upstairs Downstairs</I>) successfully translates the repartee and conflict in this six-hour miniseries. Dialogue, for the most part, is painstakingly replicated, except when fleshing out and smoothing for modern sensibilities was necessary. Darcy, for instance, is drawn out, giving his personality significantly more depth. The acting sweeps you away to Regency England: Jennifer Ehle (of <I>Wilde</I>) is convincing as the obstinate Elizabeth, who, despite her mother's attempts to marry her off, spurs the attentions of Darcy. And Colin Firth (of <I>The English Patient</I>) will have women everywhere longing for a Mr. Darcy of their own.<p> For those who have been on an Austen binge--enjoying such excellent adaptations as <I>Sense and Sensibility</I> and <I>Persuasion</I>--this miniseries will round out the ultimate Austen video library. For those new to these romantic period pieces, this version of <I>Pride and Prejudice</I> will have you hooked and longing for more. One caveat, however: plan to watch it in an entire day, because very few have the self-control to not watch all six hours in a single sitting. <I>--Jenny Brown</I> Reader Reviews I love this show. But, the DVD color ruined it. Even with the brightness all the way up, the people had black blobs on their heads instead of hair and the shadows were all pitch black and the bright colors were bluish. Oh and I bought the special edition, in 2008, and it said it had been remastered for the best quality in picture and sound. Well, they still have some work to do! I returned the DVD and got the tapes from Amazon marketplace. So beautiful and well worth it!! Get the tapes. There are 6 tapes and even with the hassles of the tapes I was as enchanted as I was when I first saw this on PBS and waited for a rerun!!

Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (A&E, 1996) Available from Amazon Price: $19.99 Updated on 9-20-2008.

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